Boxscore

SELINSGROVE, Pa. -- Susquehanna University's sophomore quarterback Rich Palazzi (Newfoundland, Pa./Wallenpaupack) completed a game- and career-high 24 passes for a game- and career-high 287 yards, but Susquehanna fell to visiting Lycoming College, 37-23, in a non-conference football game at Amos Alonzo Stagg Field at Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium on Sept. 19.

Palazzi threw the ball 42 times, including two touchdown passes to one interception, but it wasn't enough to prevent Lycoming (1-1 overall) from leaving the Susquehanna (2-1 overall) campus with the "Stagg Hat" trophy.

SU and the Warriors have faced each other in the "Stagg Hat Game" every year since 1993. The trophy is an actual fedora worn by legendary football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, Sr. Stagg co-head coached the Crusaders with his son, Amos Jr., from 1947-52. (Susquehanna and Lycoming will not play each other next year.)

Susquehanna held a large advantage in passing yards, 287-127, but the real story was the difference in each team's ground game. Lycoming gained 266 rushing yards to the Crusaders' 43. Total yardage was 393-330 in favor of the Warriors.

SU's sophomore split end Mike Ritter (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) made six catches for a game-high 94 yards, including a TD. Teammate and senior running back Dave Paveletz (Warrior Run, Pa./Hanover Area) made a game-high seven catches for 33 yards. Senior split ends J.J. Moran (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) and Keith Howell (North Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) added five and four catches for 82 and 69 yards, respectively. Howell had a TD.

Paveletz also rushed for a team-high 50 yards on 23 carries, but the game's leading rusher was junior running back Josh Kleinfelter (Bellwood, Pa./Bellwood-Antis), who led the Lycoming offense with a game-high 175 yards on 28 carries, including a game-high two TD. Teammate and senior running back Mark Rosa (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale) added 80 yards and one TD on 12 carries.

The Warriors' senior quarterback Colin Dwyer (Dalton, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) completed 14 of 23 passes for 127 yards and a TD. Dwyer was picked off twice.

Sophomore wide receiver Ryan Wagaman (Biglerville, Pa./Biglerville) led Lycoming with four catches and 51 receiving yards. Senior tight end Jimmie Stevenson (Pipersville, Pa./Central Bucks East) added two catches for 36 yards, while sophomore wide receiver Sean Saylor (Morton, Pa./Springfield HS) and junior wide receiver Josh Dixon (Fleetville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) made three catches each for 27 and 19 yards, respectively. Dixon had a TD.

Outside of the loss, SU's junior punter/placekicker Bobby Eppleman (Chester Springs, Pa./Great Valley), a 2009 preseason All-America punter, had a game to remember. Eppleman tied the Crusaders record with three field goals (on three attempts), including a career-long 38-yarder and another from 37 yards.

Steve Leggett '95 was the last Susquehanna player to make three field goals in one contest when he went 3-for-3 in a game in 1993.

Eppleman punted four times in this game for a game-high average of 41.5 yards--all of which landed inside Lycoming's 20-yard line. His long punt went for 49 yards, and he also booted a kickoff through the back of the end zone.

The Crusaders were led defensively by senior defensive back Tony McIntosh (Avondale, Pa./Avon Grove), who made 10 tackles, including a game-high-tying seven solo stops. McIntosh also broke up a pass. SU's senior linebacker Erich Majors (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) was close behind with nine tackles (seven solo) and a forced fumble. Freshman defensive back Jalon Scott (Albany, N.Y./Albany HS) was impressive, making the first two interceptions of his collegiate career and returning them 43 total yards. Scott also made eight tackles (seven solo).

Crusaders senior defensive end Pete Johnsen (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) tied for the game high with two tackles for a loss (totaling a game-high 14 negative yards). One of those was a sack for a loss of 13. Johnsen made five tackles on the day (all solo). Senior split end Justin Young (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy), who has been playing on both sides of the ball, made five tackles as well (three solo) and recovered a fumble. Junior fullback Jim Cavanaugh (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) was a special-teams standout, making two tackles, including a forced fumble.

Junior defensive back Chuck Bellitto (New Holland, Pa./Garden Spot) led the Warriors with nine tackles, including a team-high seven solo stops, and a tackle for a loss. Bellitto also broke up a pass. Senior defensive lineman Ted Geurds (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) and freshman defensive back Matt Talerico (Moosic, Pa./Riverside) both racked up six tackles (all solo). Geurds had one for a loss. Senior defensive end Kyle Murren (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville) and junior defensive back Jim Daley (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood Catholic) both made three tackles (all solo). Murren made a team-high two tackles for a loss--including his team's lone sack--recovered a fumble and broke up a pass. Daley intercepted a pass.

Sophomore defensive lineman Anthony Marascio (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) made three tackles (two solo), including a forced fumble, and broke up a pass. Sophomore defensive back Brice Rickard (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale) made two tackles (both solo) and recovered a fumble.

Lycoming jumped out to a 14-0 lead after scoring on its first drive of the game and returning a fumble 34 yards for another score on SU's ensuing possession.

Kleinfelter's 53-yard run capped an eight-play, 95-yard drive midway through the first quarter. Sophomore defensive back Ray Bierbach (Hunlock Creek, Pa./Northwest Area) scored on the fumble return. Junior placekicker TJ Chiarolanza (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) converted extra-point attempts after both scores.

The Crusaders stalled on fourth down on their next possession but then quickly struck for two TD of their own to tie the score at 14.

Following the turnover on downs, Scott picked off his first pass of the day on Lycoming's next play and returned it to the Warriors 32. Palazzi then found Ritter in the end zone for a leaping highlight-reel catch on the next play.

Eppleman booted the PAT and then kicked off to the Lycoming 8, where it was returned by Bierbach. Bierbach was met by Cavanaugh during the return at the 25, where he fumbled into the hands of Young. Palazzi then struck for another long TD pass on the next play, hitting Howell for 34 yards.

Eppleman made another PAT to end a 14-point explosion that took just 16 seconds.

Neither team would score again until Rosa ended a six-play, 61-yard drive with a two-yard TD plunge. Chiarolanza hit the point-after to make the score 21-14 with 12 minutes, 27 seconds left in the first half. Lycoming got the ball when Palazzi's pass was intercepted by Daley.

The teams traded possessions before SU got back on the board. Eppleman's 23-yard field goal cut the score to 21-17 with 4:11 left before halftime.

The Warriors answered on their next drive, gaining 57 yards in seven plays and scoring on Dwyer's 12-yard TD pass to Dixon with 43 seconds left in the half.

SU took the ball downfield for a final chance to score before the break and capitalized when Eppleman drilled his 38-yarder with no time left to make it 28-20.

Lycoming got the ball to start the second half, eventually getting a 35-yard field goal from Chiarolanza that made it 31-20 with 9:55 to play in the third quarter.

Eppleman answered with his 37-yarder on the next drive to bring the score back to a one-possession difference at 31-23.

The Crusaders defense forced the Warriors to punt on the next drive, but a fumble by Moran on the punt return gave Lycoming the ball at the Susquehanna 17.

Dwyer's pass on the very next play ended up back in the hands of Scott though, who returned the interception from the end zone to the SU 30.

The score remained an eight-point difference until late in the fourth quarter when Kleinfelter broke through the Crusaders defense for a 25-yard TD run. Lycoming took possession before the score after Palazzi fumbled during a quarterback-keeper at the Susquehanna 47.

Chiarolanza missed the PAT, but SU still faced a daunting 37-23 deficit with just 4:06 left.

The Crusaders still had life when they faced a fourth-and-one at the Warriors 49, but a substitution infraction pushed the ball back five more yards. SU's next play was an incomplete pass, allowing Lycoming to finish the game in victory formation.

Next Game: Saturday, Sept. 26, vs. Hobart (Liberty League game), 2 p.m.