Boxscore
SELINSGROVE, Pa. -- Susquehanna University's senior running back
Dave Paveletz (Warrior Run, Pa./Hanover Area) set
a new school record with the 44th, 45th and 46th rushing touchdowns
of his career, and Susquehanna topped visiting Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, 35-30, in a Liberty League football game at
Amos Alonzo Stagg Field at Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium on Oct. 17.
SU (5-2, 3-1 Liberty) gained 457 total yards, just ahead of the
426 put up by Rensselaer (3-2, 1-2 Liberty).
Paveletz rushed for a game- and season-high 188
yards on 36 carries, including the season-high three TD. He was
spelled by sophomore running back Greg Tellish (Mount Airy,
Md./South Carroll), who ran nine times for a season-high
51 yards. Many of Tellish's carries from the
Crusaders' wildcat formation.
Paveletz passed Jason Eck '05 in the record
books. Eck ran for 45 TD from 2001-04.
RPI's junior running back Nick Costa (Yonkers, N.Y./Iona Prep)
ran for 116 yards on 14 carries, including a game-high 49-yard TD
run. Teammate and freshman quarterback Mike Hermann [(Hardeeville,
S.C./Avon Old Farms (Conn.)] ran 11 times for 42 yards, and
sophomore running back Zach Scruggs (Auburn, Ga./Dacula) added 22
yards on four carries.
Hermann also threw for a game-high 237 yards and three TD on
13-for-27 passing, though he was intercepted once in the end zone.
Susquehanna's sophomore quarterback Rich Palazzi
(Newfoundland, Pa./Wallenpaupack), back after missing the
Crusaders' past two games while recovering from an injury,
completed a game-high 17 passes (on 24 attempts) for 225 yards and
two TD. Palazzi was not intercepted.
SU's senior split end J.J. Moran (Pottsville,
Pa./Pottsville) finished the day with 101 career catches
after a game- and season-high six-catch, 102-yard day, including a
TD. Moran is one of seven Crusaders all-time with
100 or more career receptions. He now ranks sixth in SU history
after passing Jeff Steltz '76 in this game. Steltz made an even 100
catches from 1973-75. Jim Owen '09 ranks fifth with 115 catches
from 2005-08.
SU's sophomore split end Mike Ritter (Selinsgrove,
Pa./Selinsgrove Area) added five catches for 52 yards,
while sophomore tight end Matt Knouse (Elliottsburg,
Pa./West Perry) and senior split end Keith Howell
(North Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) contributed three and
two catches for 26 and 31 yards, respectively.
Howell scored a TD.
Junior wide receiver Pat McCarthy (Strafford, N.H./Spaulding)
led the Engineers with four catches and 75 yards, including a TD.
Costa caught three passes for 25 yards, while senior wide receiver
Mike Fil (Wynantskill, N.Y./Averill Park) and junior wide receiver
Ray Davis (Worcester, Mass./South High Community) both added two
catches for 55 and 19 yards, respectively. Fil had a TD. Freshman
wide receiver Austin Caswell (Round Rock, Texas/Stony Point) made a
28-yard TD catch.
SU's senior defensive lineman Marc McDonough (Kingston,
Pa./Bishop Hoban) was perhaps the game's biggest defensive
player. McDonough made the most of his three
tackles (two solo). He officially notched 1.5 sacks, not including
a stop on Hermann in the RPI backfield on a late
two-point-conversion attempt. McDonough also
forced a game-high two fumbles, one of which caused a turnover.
The Crusaders' junior defensive back Braden Klingler
(Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) made a team-high eight
tackles, including a team-high seven solo stops and game-high-tying
two tackles for a loss (totaling 13 yards).
Klingler also intercepted a pass in the end zone
and broke up a game-high two passes.
SU's senior defensive back Tony McIntosh (Avondale,
Pa./Avon Grove) and senior linebacker Erich Majors
(Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) both made six tackles (five
solo). McIntosh also broke up a pass. Freshman
defensive back Jalon Scott (Albany, N.Y./Albany
HS) was one of nine Crusaders with three tackles. All of
Scott's were solo. He also broke up a pass. Senior
split end/defensive back Justin Young (Pittsburgh,
Pa./Shady Side Academy) and sophomore linebacker
Mitch Phillips (Millersburg, Pa./Millersburg) both
made three stops (two solo). Young broke up a
pass, and Phillips recovered one of
McDonough's forced fumbles. Freshman defensive
lineman Ken Schetroma (Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia
Area) also made three tackles (two solo).
Schetroma tied McDonough with 1.5
sacks (for a total loss of 13 yards).
RPI's senior defensive back Joe Albano (Dalton, Mass./Wahconah
Regional) stayed busy with Paveletz frequently in his secondary.
Albano led all players with 14 tackles and 11 solo stops. He also
broke up a pass. Senior linebacker Tim Acker (Arlington,
Wash./Arlington) was close behind with 11 tackles (eight solo).
Fellow senior linebacker Colin King (Glenmont,
N.Y./Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) notched eight tackles (seven solo),
including two tackles for a loss. Another senior linebacker, David
Schepperly (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./Carmel), and freshman
linebacker Austin Nelz (Marco Island, Fla./Saint John Neumann) both
made five tackles (all solo), including two tackles for a loss by
Schepperly. Freshman defensive lineman Matthew Lauro [Longmeadow,
Mass./Avon Old Farms (Conn.)] made five stops as well (four solo),
including his team's lone sack. Senior defensive lineman Colin
Elliott (Easthampton, Mass./Williston Northampton) made four
tackles (all solo), including causing a turnover with a forced
fumble.
Much like the previous week, the game started ominously for
Susquehanna, though things quickly changed.
SU received the opening kickoff but punted after three plays.
RPI then went 60 yards in four quick plays, including a 36-yard
Hermann-to-Fil TD pass. Junior placekicker Peter Nilson (Appleton,
Wis./Kimberly) converted the extra-point attempt for a 7-0 lead
just 1 minute, 42 seconds into the game.
After the teams traded punts, SU marched 62 yards over five
plays, including a 24-yard
Palazzi-to-Howell TD pass. The
extra point by junior punter/placekicker Bobby Eppleman
(Chester Springs, Pa./Great Valley) tied the score at 7
heading into the second quarter.
Following a Rensselaer punt, the Crusaders put together a
10-play, 65-yard drive, capped off by a Paveletz
one-yard TD dive and another Eppleman point-after
for a 14-7 lead with 8:49 left in the first half.
RPI punted again, and SU responded with another TD. This time,
Palazzi was on the money to Moran
in the end zone for a 35-yard score. Eppleman hit
the PAT for a 21-7 lead with 6:25 left in the second.
The Engineers got back in the game with a long TD pass of their
own on the next possession. Hermann hit McCarthy for a 28-yard
score to end a four-play, 74-yard drive, and Nilson kicked the PAT
to make it 21-14 with 5:01 left.
The Crusaders answered again though with seven more points on
their next possession, taking the ball 58 yards over eight plays
for a Paveletz five-yard TD run.
Eppleman booted the PAT for a 28-14 lead with 3:46
to go before halftime.
RPI then went down the field to set up a 33-yard field-goal try.
The Engineers faked the kick, but Susquehanna snuffed the play out
for a would-be turnover on downs. The Crusaders were hit with a
facemask penalty on the play though, giving RPI a first down. The
Engineers took a shot at the end zone after that but eventually
settled for Nilson's successful 25-yard field goal that made the
score 28-17 after one half.
Both teams fumbled the ball over to each other in the third
quarter, but neither squad could turn the gaffes into points.
RPI eventually scored the only points of the third when Costa
ended a four-play, 60-yard drive with his 49-yard TD jaunt. Nilson
made another PAT, and it was 28-24 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Crusaders started a drive late in the third quarter and
finished it early in the fourth with Paveletz's
record-breaking one-yard TD rush and another
Eppleman PAT. The drive ate up 60 yards on 10
plays and pushed the SU lead out to 35-24 with 12:44 to go in the
game.
Rensselaer seemed poised to answer on its next drive, but
Klingler picked off Hermann's pass in the end zone
for a touchback.
SU punted on its next possession, and RPI took advantage with a
nine-play, 59-yard drive, ended by Hermann's clutch 28-yard TD pass
to Caswell on fourth-and-17. The Engineers tried for a two-point
conversion to cut the lead to three points, but
McDonough brought down Hermann in the backfield to
deny the try.
RPI used an onside kick after the failed two-pointer, but
Young pounced on Nilson's kick at the Engineers
44.
RPI used its final timeout on the ensuing Susquehanna possession
and forced the Crusaders into a fourth-and-four situation with
seven seconds left in an attempt to get the ball back.
Fittingly, Paveletz put the game away with a
16-yard carry on that fourth-and-four, allowing the clock to
expire.
SU held the advantage in time of possession, 35:26-24:24.
Next Game: Saturday, Oct. 31, at St. Lawrence (Liberty
League game), 1 p.m.
