The Shippensburg University football team fell to the Seton Hall Griffins by a final score of 28-23 Saturday in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover match at Seton Hill’s Offutt Field.
Shippensburg (0-2) out-gained the Griffins (1-1) 329 yards to 321 yards and won the first-down battle 17-to-13, but big plays by the hosts turned out to be the difference in a disappointing road loss.
Junior wide receiver Redd Douglas (Youngstown, Ohio/Chaney (Wooster)) had an exceptional day in a game that saw redshirt-sophomore starting quarterback Joey McCracken (Lititz, Pa./Warwick (Maine)) exit the game midway through the second quarter with an injury. Douglas finished with 202 all-purpose yards, including eight receptions for 130 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown catch.
Seton Hill quarterback Hayden Teska, who himself entered the game due to injury, threw for 209 yards and a pair of scores to lift the hosts to their first-ever win over Shippensburg in seven tries.
The Raiders got off to a steady start with McCracken still at the helm, jumping out to a 10-0 first quarter advantage.
SU’s opening drive resulted in a 34-yard field goal from junior Jaxson Montross (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock Area). Later in the quarter, a screen pass to junior Jake DeLuccia (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) led to a 71-yard gain, which set up a DeLuccia 1-yard goal line plunge.
In the second quarter, a blocked punt gave the Griffins possession inside the Raider red-zone, which led to a Seton Hill touchdown. Teska found wide receiver Mark Bails Jr. downfield for a 55-yard score one possession later to give the hosts a 14-10 lead.
Redshirt-sophomore Sam Johnson III (Detroit, Mich./Walled Lake Western (Boston College), who entered in place of McCracken, answered with a 25-yard strike to redshirt-freshman Jaimen Bryant (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) with less than two minutes remaining the first half. But the Griffins seized back momentum moments before halftime with a 64-yard TD from wide receiver Ethan Fame to give Seton Hill a 21-17 edge.
The Griffins stretched the lead to 11 points in the third quarter courtesy of a Tre Mason touchdown run.
In the fourth quarter, a personal foul on the Griffins during a Shippensburg punt extended a Raider drive that allowed for Douglas’s 29-yard TD catch – which made it a one-possession game with 11:43 remaining.
The Raiders had a pair of possessions down the stretch, but the blitzing Seton Hill defense gave the Raider offense little time to make their way downfield in an attempt at a go-ahead score.
Linebacker Musa Tama registered two of the Griffins’ four sacks. He also finished with eight tackles, a fumble recovery, an interception and a pass break up on the day.
Johnson completed 11-of-26 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. McCracken finished 7-of-9 passing for 124 yards.
DeLuccia registered 121 yards receiving to go along with his 34 yards on the ground.
Bryant’s first collegiate touchdown catch highlighted a three-reception, 46-yard game.
Defensively, redshirt-sophomore linebacker Terrance Peterson Jr. (Hopewell, N.J./Hopewell Valley Central) led Shippensburg with eight tackles. Redshirt-sophomore Jake Hines (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) tallied with 1.5 sacks.
Junior TJ Wagner (Orwigsburg, Pa./Nativity B.V.M. (Wagner)) was credited with a blocked field goal.
The Raiders are back on the road Week 3, taking on No. 13 IUP next Saturday at 2 p.m.
