Susquehanna Football

Nine Susquehanna Players Combine for 10 All–Liberty League Honors

Pope Honored as Liberty League Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Paveletz Selected to CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All–District Team

Paveletz Breaks Career Rushing Record, but Union Wins Shootout, 51–45 Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. — Junior running back Dave Paveletz (Warrior Run, Pa./Hanover Area) rushed 37 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns to become the all-time leading rusher in Susquehanna University (4–6, 3–4 Liberty) history, but visiting Union College (5–4, 4–3 Liberty) took a 51–45 Liberty League win on Senior Day at Amos Alonzo Stagg Field at Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium on Nov. 15.

Paveletz (right) came into the game needing just 73 yards to reach the career rushing mark of 3,243 yards, set by Matt Wichlinski '99, and 155 yards to catch Wichlinski's single-season rushing record of 1,322, set in 1997. Paveletz finished this season with 1,314 yards to surpass his own 2007 total for second-place all-time. He now has 3,317 career rushing yards.

Sophomore running back Chris Coney, who came into the game trailing only Paveletz for the Liberty lead in total rushing yards and total touchdowns and points, ran for a game-high 244 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Coney has 1,283 rushing yards this season, just 31 yards behind Paveletz. Both players now have 18 touchdowns and 108 points this year. Union's season may not be over, as the Dutchmen are awaiting a possible invitation to the 2008 ECAC Division III championships.

Susquehanna's senior quarterback Derek Pope (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) tied his own career-high with a game-high 28 completions on 41 attempts, including three touchdown passes. Pope threw for a game- and career-high 372 yards in his final collegiate game and rushed for a touchdown. He came into the game ranked fifth in school history in career passing yards and ended up third behind David Battisti '91 and record-holder Mike Bowman '03. Bowman and Battisti threw for 8,160 and 4,087 career yards, respectively. Pope finishes his career with 4,051 passing yards.

Union's freshman quarterback Andrew Connolly completed nine of 18 passes for 247 yards and a game-high four touchdowns. Connolly was intercepted twice. His favorite target was freshman wide receiver Justin Gallo, who caught a game-high six passes for a game-high 176 yards, including two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Jared Gourrier caught two passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Gourrier also ran the ball twice for 36 yards. Junior fullback Dave Carson caught a four-yard touchdown pass.

Susquehanna's senior split end Jim Owen (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt), junior split end J.J. Moran (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) and Paveletz each caught five passes. Owen and Paveletz both gained 55 yards. Owen caught two touchdowns. Moran gained 45 yards. Senior split end Matt Koziol (Shamokin, Pa./Southern Columbia Area) gained a team-high 56 yards on three catches. Junior split end Keith Howell (North Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) also made three catches. Howell gained 37 yards and caught a touchdown pass. Junior split end Justin Young (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy) and senior fullback Charlie Henry (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) both caught two passes for 53 and 33 yards, respectively. Senior split end Blake Petrill (Neshanic Station, N.J./Somerville) added a 23-yard reception. For the second week in a row, 10 different Crusaders made at least one catch.

Senior defensive lineman Andy LeClere (Apple Valley, Calif./Granite Hills) made a team-high nine tackles for Susquehanna. Senior safety/punter John Lunardi (Exton, Pa./Henderson), who came into the game ranked second in NCAA Division III in passes defended, made seven tackles and broke up two passes. Junior linebacker Pete Johnsen (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley ) also made seven tackles. Johnsen picked up a team-high 1.5 tackles for a game-high loss of seven yards. Senior outside linebacker/placekicker Dan Golias (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) made six tackles. Junior defensive back Josh Simpson (North Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) picked up a team-high four solo tackles and returned an interception 48 yards. Freshman linebacker Mitch Phillips (Millersburg, Pa./Millersburg) made two tackles and returned an interception seven yards.

Union's senior defensive back Kevin Rautenstrauch made a game-high 12 tackles, including a game-high eight solo stops, and broke up a pass. Senior linebacker Joe Catalano made 10 tackles (seven solo), including 1.5 for a loss, and broke up a pass. Junior linebacker John DeLuca posted eight tackles (seven solo), including a forced fumble that he recovered and returned 32 yards. Fellow junior linebacker John Peters made seven stops (all solo). Junior safety Eric Baxter also made seven tackles (six solo), forced a fumble and broke up a pair of passes. Junior defensive end Charles Hovsepian made six tackles (five solo), including a game-high two for a loss. Senior defensive end Tim Romano tallied three stops and recovered a fumble. Senior utilityman Ryan Kraynak picked up two tackles and broke up two passes.

The Dutchmen drew first blood with a four-yard touchdown rush by Coney with 8 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the first quarter to end a seven-play, 68-yard drive on his team's first possession of the game. Junior placekicker Zach Epley converted the extra-point attempt for the 7–0 lead.

In what would be the theme of the game, play swung right back to the other side with Susquehanna conducting an impressive 18-play, 79-yard drive that ate up 8:53 of clock and ended with Paveletz's one-yard touchdown run 47 seconds into the second quarter. Paveletz grinded on the Union defense with 10 carries on that drive for 37 yards and a reception for six yards. Golias, who finished the season perfect in extra-point kicks (11-for-11) filling in for the team's starting placekicker, who was ill, booted the PAT to tie the game at 7–7.

The SU defense turned a quick three-and-out on the ensuing possession, and the Union punt from its own 42-yard line was blocked by Howell. Amazingly, the blocked ball caromed all the way back through the Union end zone for a safety and a 9–7 Crusaders lead with 12:48 left in the second quarter. The block was Howell's third blocked punt of the season.

Following the kick after the safety, Pope made short work of the Union defense, hitting Henry on the first play of the drive for a 30-yard catch down the sideline before finding Howell for a 15-yard touchdown. The drive took just 40 seconds to unfold, and Golias' PAT pushed the lead out to 16–7 with 11:59 to play in the first half.

Union came right back to score on its following possession. Connolly hit Gourrier from 24 yards out, and Epley hit the PAT to cut the lead to 16–14 with 10:06 left in the half. Earlier in the drive, Connolly hit Gallo for a 30-yard gain on second-and-long.

Susquehanna looked to be in business at the Union 26 on its next drive, but Baxter's forced fumble of a Pope carry and Romano's recovery gave the Dutchmen the ball at their own 28. On the very next play, Connolly hit Gallo for a dramatic 72-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 7:28 to play in the half. Epley's extra-point gave Union the lead that they would not relinquish, 21–16.

SU punted on its next drive, and Union responded with a seven-play, 35-yard drive that lasted 2:28 and culminated with Connolly's four-yard touchdown pass to Carson. The Dutchmen elected to try a two-point conversion, and Connolly found junior tight end Josh McKelligan in the end zone for a 29–16 lead with 2:36 to play in half.

Finishing a wild second quarter in which the teams combined for 45 points, Pope plunged in from the Union 1 with just 15 seconds left in the half to finish a nine-play, 52-yard drive. The PAT put the score at 29–23 entering halftime. Pope completed six of seven passes on that drive for 51 yards.

Momentum was about to swing Susquehanna's way when Simpson intercepted a Connolly pass on Union's first possession of the second half and returned it 48 yards deep into Dutchmen territory, but Union swelled up at the goal line to force an incompletion by Pope on fourth-and-goal from the 5.

Union then put together a backbreaking four-play, 95-yard drive that ended with a Connolly-to-Gallo 25-yard touchdown pass and Epley PAT for a 36–23 lead with 11:21 left in the third quarter. Coney rushed three times for 55 yards during the drive.

The Crusaders didn't go away, and Pope led them down the field with a 14-play, 65-yard drive that chewed up 5:34 and resulted in his seven-yard touchdown strike to Owen. The extra point narrowed the gap to 36–30. The big play of the drive was Paveletz's 17-yard reception on third-and-15.

Union punted on its next drive, but SU handed the ball right back when DeLuca forced a Moran fumble at the 50-yard line and returned it all the way to the Crusaders 18. Two Coney rushes later and the score was suddenly 42–30. Coney tried for two points after the touchdown but was stopped short.

Union got an important stop on the next Susquehanna drive and followed the punt with another Coney touchdown rush. Coney's jaunt from the SU 5 capped a five-play, 82-yard drive that ended 1:35 into the fourth quarter. Epley's PAT try was partially blocked and wobbled wide of the goal posts, which put the score at 48–30.

SU engineered a five-play, 68-yard drive on its next possession, finished by a bulldozing 11-yard touchdown run by Paveletz. Golias hit another PAT to slice the lead to 48–37.

Two plays later, momentum fully came back to the SU side when Phillips stepped in front of Connolly's pass at the Union 30 and returned the interception to the 23. The very next play, Pope completed a 23-yard touchdown pass to Owen, then found Owen in the end zone again for a two-point conversion that made the score 48–45.

Connolly marched Union down the field after the kickoff and earned a first-and-goal from the SU 6, thanks in large part to his 43-yard pass to Gourrier on the third play of the drive. The Crusaders defense stood up when it mattered the most and held Union out of the end zone to keep the game to a one-possession difference. Epley and the Dutchmen settled for a 24-yard field goal that put them ahead, 51–45, with 6:22 left in the fourth.

Susquehanna looked as if it would at least force overtime if not win the game when it travelled deep into Union territory on the next drive. On fourth-and-two from the Union 25, the game was seemingly over when Pope's pass to Howell was broken up by Rautenstrauch, but a pass interference call kept the home crowd's hopes alive. The ball was spotted at the 10 for a first-and-goal.

Paveletz rushed for no gain, Pope hit Howell for four yards and Koziol hauled in a four-yarder from Pope before he was stopped at the 2 by Rautenstrauch and Baxter, setting up fourth down. On fourth-and-two, Pope was pressured into throwing the ball away, giving Union the ball in the shadow of its own end zone.

With the game still in doubt on third-and seven from the Union 5, Coney burst through for a 50-yard run that put Union into victory formation. The Dutchmen took two knees to end the game.

Susquehanna held a 27–20 advantage in first downs. Time of possession was handedly in SU's favor, 36:46–23:04.

Union held a slim 529–523 edge in total yards, as the two teams combined for 1,052 yards and 139 total offensive plays.

End of season