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Susquehanna Football
2008 program overview
Susquehanna Drops Opener at Moravian, 27-14 Box Score
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Junior running back Dave Paveletz (Warrior Run, Pa./Hanover Area) ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns, but his three lost fumbles handcuffed visiting Susquehanna University in a 27-14 loss to Moravian College at Rocco Calvo Field on Sept. 6.
Senior running back Tyler deRouen ran for a game-high 131 yards for Moravian (1-0 overall), and senior quarterback Marc Braxmeier completed 12 of 19 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown and ran for 22 yards and a touchdown as the Greyhounds gained 370 total yards to 257 for Susquehanna (0-1 overall).
Senior running back Tyler McCambridge ran for 64 yards and a touchdown to help the ground game for Moravian. Sophomore wide receiver Alex Hersch caught a game-high four passes for a game-high 58 yards, and senior fullback Morgan deRouen contributed two receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown.
The Crusaders' senior quarterback Derek Pope (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) completed 13 of 30 passes for 146 yards, but his two interceptions and one lost fumble contributed to six total turnovers by the Crusaders. Pope's favorite targets were junior split ends Justin Young (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy) and J.J. Moran (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville). Young and Moran caught three passes each for 50 and 40 yards, respectively.
Junior linebacker Pete Johnsen (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) had an outstanding defensive game for the Crusaders. Johnsen made a game-high 14 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss and a sack. Senior defensive lineman Andy LeClere (Apple Valley, Calif./Granite Hills) had Susquehanna's other sack. LeClere made six tackles, including two for a loss, and recovered a fumble. Freshman linebacker Mitch Phillips (Millersburg, Pa./Millersburg) forced a fumble as part of 12 tackles. Junior defensive back Josh Simpson (North Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) made 13 tackles. Freshman linebacker Trevor Terpening (Mount Airy, Md./South Carroll) and junior defensive back Erich Majors (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) both made 10 stops. Terpening's four tackles for a loss were a game-high.
Senior linebacker Andrew Morrissey led the Greyhounds with 11 tackles.
Moravian scored early and often in the first half. Senior kicker Brian Reckenbeil capped a 10-play, 43-yard opening drive for the Greyhounds with a 47-yard field goal to stake a 3-0 lead.
Susquehanna tried to answer on the ensuing drive, but a 27-yard field goal attempt by sophomore kicker/punter Bobby Eppleman (Chester Springs, Pa./Great Valley) was blocked.
Moravian took over and scored again on its next possession. This time, McCambridge scampered 22 yards across the Susquehanna goal line to finish an eight-play, 84-yard drive. Reckenbeil's extra point made the score 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.
A Paveletz fumble on the following Susquehanna possession gave the ball back to Moravian in great field position at the Crusaders' 36-yard line. The Susquehanna defense swelled up to prevent six more points, but Reckenbeil made good on a 35-yard field goal try to put the Greyhounds ahead, 13-0.
Another fumble by Susquehanna on the following drive -- this time by Pope -- gave Moravian the ball at the Crusaders' 11. The Greyhounds capitalized on the short field when Braxmeier hit Morgan deRouen for a nine-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Another Reckenbeil PAT made the score 20-0.
The teams traded possessions back-and-forth following that -- highlighted by a 61-yard punt by Eppleman -- but Moravian staged a 10-play, 89-yard drive late in the first half that led to Braxmeier's one-yard touchdown plunge. Reckenbeil's PAT put the Greyhounds ahead, 27-0, heading into the locker room.
Neither team mustered much on offense to start the second half, but a lost Moravian fumble on a bad snap at their own 29 gave Susquehanna a short field. Pope completed a 24-yard pass to senior split end Matt Koziol (Shamokin, Pa./Southern Columbia) to start the drive, and Paveletz ran five total yards on the next two carries -- including a one-yard touchdown run -- to put the Crusaders on the board. Eppleman's PAT made the score 24-7.
Moravian was held off of the board for the rest of the game by a stingy Susquehanna defense that gave the Crusaders a chance. SU outgained Moravian, 158-65, in the second half.
Paveletz took the game over for Susquehanna in the third quarter. His one-yard touchdown dive and Eppleman's PAT with 2 minutes, 53 seconds left to play in the third capped a six-play, 66-yard drive in which Paveletz carried the ball six times for 51 yards. A Moravian personal foul made up the 15-yard difference, and the score was suddenly 27-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Susquehanna defense forced Moravian to turn the ball over on downs with 12:32 left in the fourth quarter, but another Paveletz fumble at the Crusaders' 41 gave the ball right back. The SU defense got another stop on a fourth down on the ensuing drive, but Pope's interception gave Moravian the ball right back again.
Moravian was forced to punt from their own 32 on the following possession, and Susquehanna put together an impressive 12-play drive following that. The drive ended with the game on the line on fourth-and-goal from the Moravian 6. Pope scrambled to his right and threw up a prayer in the end zone that was intercepted by sophomore defensive back Daniel Burley to effectively end the game.
Moravian had 22 first downs to Susquehanna's 15 and held the ball for 36:16 to the Crusaders' 23:44.
Paveletz moved past Larry Kerstetter ’64 for fifth in Susquehanna history in career rushing yards with 2120.
Next Game: Saturday, Sept. 13 vs. Juniata, 1 p.m. (Goal Post Game) |
