Warriors Come Up Short in Road Thriller at Kutztown - East Stroudsburg University Athletics (2024)

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – In a back-and-forth contest at Andre Reed Stadium, Kutztown tied the contest with 8:54 remaining and retook the lead with 5:41 remaining for good, in a 34-27 win over the East Stroudsburg University football team on Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors (4-1, 1-1 PSAC East) suffer its first loss of the season in a tough ending. The Golden Bears (3-2, 2-0 PSAC East) pick up its second consecutive win to start the PSAC East slate.

After ESU scored the first points on a Jonathan Post receiving touchdown from Sean McTaggart on its opening drive of the game, KU registered 20 unanswered points. The Warriors battled back with 20 consecutive points themselves, retaking the lead at 21-20 and extending its lead to 27-20 after a short rushing touchdown from Tyriq Lewis and a pair of receiving touchdowns from DJ Thomson and Heyser.

KU would drive the ball 55 yards to knot the ball game at 27-27 and took advantage of an ESU fake punt on its own 32-yd line, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 5:41 to go in the 34-27 win for the Golden Bears. After trading punts, ESU drove down the field in hopes of tying the contest with just over two minutes remaining. On 4th-and-7 from the Kutztown 32-yd line, McTaggart was sacked, as the Golden Bears kneeled out the rest of the clock.

Notables

• QB Sean McTaggart completed 18-31 (58.1%) passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. He now has seven touchdowns over his last two contests against the Golden Bears and Lock Haven.
• DJ Thomson led ESU in receiving a career performance to date. He brought down four receptionsfor 89 yards and a touchdown.
• Jonathan Post nabbed an eight-ydtouchdown from McTaggart to open the scoring.
• McTaggart also found fellow Lampeter-Stasburg alumnus Beau Heyser for a 25-yd touchdown. He finished with 40 yards receiving.
• Tyriq Lewis rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown. ESU, who was averaging 205 yards of rushing heading into the day was held in check with 64 yards.
• Leading the Warrior tacklers were Noah Hambrick (8), Matthew Davis (6), Sergei Felizor (6), Dasean Dixon (6) and TJ Harris.
• Felizor and Malachi Bowman both tallied interceptions.
• Kutztown quarterback Judd Novak completed 18-29 passes for four touchdowns and two interceptions. Jordan Davis led KU with 47 rushing yards, while Mehki Gibson caught three receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Whary led KU with nine tackles, while Oyame Adoga tallied an interception.
• ESU continues to lead the all-time series with Kutztown by a 44-26-1 margin. The Golden Bears have now won nine consecutive meetings, but the last three contests have been decided by just one possession.

How It Happened

• After winning the coin toss and choosing to receive, the Warriors put together a methodical, 13-play 75-yd drive to score the first points of the game. McTaggart completed 5-6 passes for 67 yards early, finding Post for the eight-yd touchdown. ESU converted two third down and a fourth down conversion on its way to six points.

• The Golden Bears responded with a nine-play, 64-yd drive, with Jordan Davis finding the end zone on a 3-yd rush.
• After a Warrior punt, Kutztown put together a promising drive, with 10 plays and moved the ball 41 yards, but Bowman snagged his first career interception to keep the game deadlocked at 7-7.

• After exchanging punts, the Golden Bears took its first lead after 55-yd completion from Judd Novak to Kaden Hastie on 3rd and 8 with 4:28 remaining in the first half.
• With the first half winding down on 3rd and 13 from the ESU 24-yd line, McTaggart took a shot downfield, but was intercepted by Oyame Adoga with just over three minutes remaining.
• With 33 seconds left in the half on 4th and 8 from the ESU, Novak avoided a sack and nearly got the first down, but was marked just short as ESU took over possession and ran out the first half clock. KU took a 14-7 lead into the locker room.
• On its first possession of the second half, the Golden Bears were able to gain separation on another big play, with Novak finding Mehki Gibson for a 68-yd connection and touchdown. The PAT was blocked Felizor, as KU led 20-7 early on in the third quarter.
• ESU responded with a 7-play, 63-yd drive, with a 45-yd connection from McTaggart to Thomson, which set up a Lewis 3-yd touchdown to make it a single-possession game at 20-14.

• After forcing a punt, ESU was able to maintain possession with a 4th down conversion near midfield. The Warriors continued to move the ball, with McTaggart linking up with Thomson for a 19-yd touchdown to retake the lead at 21-20.

• The Warriors needed to make a response defensively, and that they did. Felizor snagged an interception to flip possession as KU neared the end zone. ESU used 11 plays and 4:40 of clock to move 70 yards, with Thomson reeling in a 19-yd touchdown, as ESU grabbed a 21-20 advantage after converting the PAT.

• After forcing a punt, the Warriors continued its success on offense. It took just five plays this time, with McTaggart tossing his third touchdown of the contest to fellow Lampeter-Strasburg graduate Beau Heyser for a 25-yd touchdown.

• KU did not back down after ESU's three consecutive touchdowns, quickly getting into the end zone on five plays, with Novak finding Kurtis Ravenel Jr. for a 23-yd touchdown. The PAT was converted, tying the matchup at 27-27.
• The Warriors attempted a fake punt and did not convert on 4th and 11, setting up the Golden Bears with good field position on ESU's 28-yd line with just over seven minutes remaining. Novak tossed a 2-yd touchdown to Jordan Davis and KU converted the PAT, as the Golden Bears retook a 34-27 lead.
• ESU needed a touchdown to tie the contest, taking over possession with 5:38 remaining in regulation. The Warriors were forced to punt on a 3-and-out, with Devin Bartholomew flipping the field with a 47-yd punt.
• The Warrior defense was up to the challenge, forcing a 3-and-out to give ESU a chance to tie the matchup up. The punt was kicked out of bounds, with ESU taking over possession on its own 25-yd line. McTaggart completed a 15-yd first down completion to Heyser, a 14-yd completion to Thomson, a 9-yd first down completion to Chad Parton. After an incompletion on 3rd and 7 on the KU 32-yd line with 48 seconds to go, a sack on fourth down resulted in a turnover on downs.
• Kutztown took over possession and kneeleed twiceto run out the clock and pick up the 34-27 win.

Up Next

• ESU (4-1, 1-1 PSAC East) returns home to Eiler-Martin Stadium on Sat., October 7th at 6:05 p.m. for Homecoming against Millersville (3-2, 1-1 PSAC East).