Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Trailing by only two points at halftime, the Susquehanna football squad was in position to grab a win from Franklin and Marshall, but a second-half scoring drought by the Crusaders ultimately led to a 41-20 loss at Lopardo Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Diplomats (4-1, 3-1) held only a two-point advantage (19-17) at halftime, but out-scored SU 22-3 over the final two quarters to run away with the win.

First downs were nearly even with F&M holding the slight 19-17 edge, but Susquehanna (1-4, 1-4) was out-gained in the passing game 296-160. SU quarterback Rich Palazzi (Newfoundland, Pa./Wallenpaupack) went 14-of-26 for 138 but tossed two picks and was sacked once.

Greg Tellish (Mount Airy, Md./South Carroll) led the team on the ground, pounding out 90 yards on 19 carries. Connor McGrath (Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII Regional/Assumption) and Spencer Cox (Myersville, Md./Frederick/Brevard) accounted for the Crusaders' two touchdowns, with McGrath finishing with a team-high 54 yards on five catches.

The Crusaders were missing several key players for the game, including offensive leader Mike Ritter (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area), who sat out with an injury. Defensive anchor and return specialist Jalon Scott (Albany, N.Y./Albany HS) was also on the sidelines with an injury.

The afternoon started out on the right foot, literally, for SU as Bobby Eppleman (Chester Springs, Pa./Great Valley) matched his career-high with a 44-yard field goal that gave his team a 3-0 advantage just two minutes into the action.

Palazzi and McGrath connected a minute later on a 15-yard touchdown pass that capped off a three-play, 37-yard drive and made it 10-0.

F&M got its first points courtesy of a safety. That was followed by a 28-yard field goal off the foot of Chris DeStefano on the team's next possession to close the gap to 10-5 at the end of the opening quarter.

With 12:47 remaining in the second quarter, Palazzi found Cox for a five-yard score that put a punctuation mark on an 11-play, 69-yard drive which burned nearly seven minutes off the clock and gave SU its largest lead of the afternoon, 17-5.

Unfortunately the Diplomats responded with two unanswered touchdowns. The first scoring drive, which took more than nine minutes, ended in a one-yard run by John Kaschak. F&M then converted on a two-point conversion that cut Susquehanna's lead to four (17-13).

After SU turned the ball over on downs on its next possession, the Diplomats needed just one play – a 68-yard TD reception from John Harrison to Jay Ridinger – to take the 19-17 lead, one they would not relinquish.

F&M put 15 points on the board in the third quarter, both complements of Harrison touchdown passes to Jarrell Diggs.

Defensively, the Diplomats' Sam Massaro helped his team maintain a comfortable lead as he finished the day with three interceptions, two of which came in the second half. He also led his team with nine tackles.

After Palazzi's second interception early in the fourth quarter, which Massaro returned for a touchdown for the 41-20 F&M lead, he gave way to Matt Lottes (Muttontown, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran), who threw for 22 yards on nine attempts but was picked off once.

Mitch Phillips (Millersburg, Pa./Millersburg Area) and Aaron Inch (Selinsgrove, Pa./Line Mountain/Delaware Valley) were all over the field defensively for SU, finishing with 13 and 11 tackles, respectively. Inch and rookie Bill Mancini (Malvern, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) also recorded sacks in the game and Teighler Doak (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area/Robert Morris), making his first start of the season, finished with an interception.

Next game: Saturday, Oct. 9 at McDaniel – 1 p.m. kickoff.

Postgame Notes:

- Jack McCarty served as honorary captain.

- Bobby Eppleman remained perfect on PATs (11-for-1) and field goal attempts (5-for-5) this season.

- SU fell to 0-9-2 in the all-time series with F&M.

- These teams were facing each other for the first time since the 1980 season.