Box Score Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – A near impossible comeback found the
Susquehanna football team on the wrong side of a 61-50 decision
against Gettysburg on Saturday afternoon.
Susquehanna (1-8, 1-8) saw what had been a 23-point lead
disappear following 34 unanswered Gettysburg points in the third
and fourth quarters in one of the highest-scoring games in recent
SU history.
The Crusader offense put up the most points it has in six years,
but the defense could not contain the Centennial Conference's
top-ranked offense in the Bullets (5-3, 4-3). The teams combined
for 111 points and 1,162 yards of offense.
Junior quarterback Rich Palazzi (Newfoundland,
Pa./Wallenpaupack) finished the afternoon with 286 passing
yards and four touchdowns en route to 518 total offensive yards for
the Crusaders.
Greg Tellish (Mount Airy, Md./South Carroll)
led the SU running game, rushing for 142 yards and a touchdown on
23 carries. Four different receivers caught touchdown passes from
Palazzi, with Mike Ritter (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove
Area) leading the way with two scores and 140 yards on
seven receptions.
Palazzi worked SU down the field to open the game, aided in part
by a 13-yard completion to Justin Stover (Selinsgrove,
Pa./Selinsgrove Area). Two costly penalties against the
Bullets, including a pass interference call on what would have been
a touchdown reception from Palazzi to Ritter, prolonged SU's
drive.
That call placed the Crusaders on the Gettysburg five-yard line.
Palazzi opted for a quarterback sneak and pushed his way into the
endzone. After Bobby Eppleman's (Chester Springs,
Pa./Great Valley) PAT, it stood 7-0 after less than five
minutes of action.
On their second offensive possession, the Bullets took over on
Susquehanna's 45-yard line following an usually short
Eppleman punt. The ensuing drive ended in a 12-yard Charles Curcio
touchdown run to knot the game at seven-all, still with more than
five minutes to play in the opening quarter.
It took Palazzi and SU less than two minutes to respond as the
junior signal caller connected with his classmate, Ritter, on a
perfectly-thrown pass and Ritter ran his way into the endzone for a
68-yard score. Eppleman missed the extra point, however, and it
stood 13-7 with 3:27 on the clock.
The momentum remained squarely on Susquehanna's side when
Mitch Phillips (Millersburg, Pa./Millersburg Area)
promptly picked off QB Kyle Whitmoyer. Despite unsportsmanlike
penalties against both teams following the kickoff, Palazzi
remained unfazed and found Spencer Cox (Myersville,
Md./Frederick/Brevard) for another SU touchdown.
Eppleman's struggles continued, though, as his extra point
attempt was blocked and Susquehanna led 19-7 as the first quarter
came to a close.
Despite working its way to the Susquehanna one-yard line, the SU
defense stopped the Bullets on three-straight goal-line plays. On
the third play, Teighler Doak (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove
Area/Robert Morris) had an interception go in and out of
his hands and Gettysburg took advantage of that extra chance when
Anthony DeSalva pushed his way into the endzone for a 19-14
game.
Tellish continued Susquehanna's offensive explosion with a
37-yard scoring run on the Crusaders' first possession in the
second quarter, upping the lead to 26-14.
As was the theme all game, Gettysburg countered with a scoring
drive of its own that resulted in a 32-yard touchdown pass from
Whitmoyer to Brian Betley. Fortunately for Susquehanna, point after
attempts also proved troublesome for the Bullets, as a missed kick
kept it a 26-20 score.
The Crusaders overcame a 3rd-and-15 situation late in
the second quarter to ultimately score its fifth touchdown of the
afternoon on a 21-yard scoring run by Tellish that put SU ahead
33-20.
Phillips made sure Gettysburg's offense remained dormant
for the remainder of the half with a critical sack on
4th-and-8 that fired up the Crusaders. They were fired
up enough to find the Gettysburg endzone for their sixth touchdown
of the half when Connor McGrath (Sparta, N.J./Pope John
XXIII Regional/Assumption) reeled in an over-the-shoulder
pass from Palazzi and ran his way into the endzone for a 40-20
ballgame.
The Bullets came out of the break and promptly put together a
10-play scoring drive that added seven points via a 40-yard
touchdown strike from Whitmoyer to Betley. Mike Barrett's PAT
made it a two-score game (40-26).
With 6:16 left in the third quarter, Eppleman was forced into
action for his first field-goal attempt of the game. The senior
nailed a 29-yard kick to tack three points on the board and make it
43-27.
Ritter and Palazzi teamed up for the second time on a 37-yard
touchdown play which, followed by Eppleman's PAT, made it
50-27 with 3:10 on the clock.
To no one's surprise, the Bullets countered with a
touchdown of their own 43 seconds later as the shootout continued
with the third quarter winding down and SU leading 50-34.
That marked the start of the Bullets' 34-0 run. Gettysburg
made it two-straight scoring possessions when DeSalva's
four-yard scoring rush quickly cut the Crusaders' lead to 10
(50-40) with 9:58 still to play.
The SU defense took the field with 7:39 left in a critical
series for both teams as the clock continued to wind down, but it
was Gettysburg that answered the call. Kyle Davis eluded a would-be
SU tackler and ran his way into the endzone for a 78-yard score
that cut what had once been a 23-point Susquehanna lead to only
three (50-47).
On third and five with 3:43 on the clock, Ritter could not hang
on to Palazzi's pass and the Bullets took over with good
field position on their own 48. Whitmoyer proceeded to toss a
23-yard strike to Matt Brophy on the SU three-yard line and Curcio
scored on a five-yard run that handed Gettysburg its first lead of
the game, 54-50, and left the Crusaders only 1:40 with which to
work.
On third and four, Palazzi was sacked and fumbled the ball which
was recovered by Gettysburg on the SU 23-yard line. The Bullets
added an insurance touchdown with 43 seconds on the clock to clinch
the comeback with a 61-50 win.
Next game: Saturday, Nov. 6 at WPI, 12 p.m. – season
finale
Postgame Notes:
- Matt Lottes and Jack McCarty
served as honorary captains
- The 111 combined points were the most scored in a Susquehanna
game since a 62-61 double-overtime win against Juniata in 1998.
- Bobby Eppleman remained perfect on field goal
attempts (8-for-8) this season.
