ALLENTOWN, PA (November 5, 2022) – Coming off a massive victory last week over Johns Hopkins University that saw Susquehanna football take sole possession of first place in the Centennial Conference, the River Hawks faced down another perennial contender in the conference on the road as they visited Muhlenberg College on Saturday afternoon. In a hard-fought battle with the Mules that saw SU trail by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, the River Hawks' dominant rushing attack helped them engineer a fourth quarter comeback and take a 28-24 victory to remain undefeated on the season and clinch their first ever Centennial Conference title.
The offenses began quietly for both teams, as Susquehanna would punt on their opening drive before a 9-play drive from Muhlenberg saw them stall out on the SU13 with a 3rd and Goal sack by Garrett Carter, forcing a field goal attempt, which they would convert to take a 3-0 lead. The Mules kept up the momentum after the opening score, with the defense coming on and forcing SU into a three-and-out, something very rare for the River Hawk offense this season. Muhlenberg would then again unleash a lengthy drive that would be stalled by a 3rd and Goal sack, this time credited to Josh Buck. Lining up for their second field goal attempt, this one would prove significantly less successful, as Edwin Maxwell broke through to block the kick and keep the score at 3-0.
Susquehanna couldn't capitalize on that block though, as the ensuing drive saw them earn one first down before going backward on a fumbled snap, falling behind the sticks and needing to again punt. Not to be outdone, the Susquehanna defense continued to make plays, forcing a three-and-out to immediately give the ball back to their offense with 8:34 left on the clock in the second quarter. The following drive saw SU kick start their offense, beginning with a 33-yard connection across the middle of the field from Michael Ruisch to Eddie Nugent, immediately putting Susquehanna in enemy territory. A 14-yard rush from Hunter Coulter put Susquehanna on the Mules' 29, before another great pass from Ruisch found tight end Michael Lefever, who was tackled at the 7 for a 22-yard reception. Coulter did the rest, getting the remaining seven yards on three carries to punch into the end zone and give the River Hawks their first score, along with the lead.
The Mules battled back, driving 73 yards on four plays with only 55 seconds left in the half to score their first touchdown and reclaim the lead before halftime. The extra point attempt was missed, so the score would be 9-7 at halftime.
The third quarter started positively for SU, with the defense forcing a fumble on the first drive for Muhlenberg. It would again be Maxwell proving to be the disruptive force, knocking the ball loose and right into the waiting arms of teammate Josh Parson, who returned the ball 13 yards to the Muhlenberg 23 and immediately set up the River Hawks' offense just outside the red zone. Susquehanna took advantage and took back the lead on a five-yard Kyle Howes rushing touchdown, making the score 14-9 in Susquehanna's favor.
Falling behind seemed to reenergize the Mules, as they would swing the momentum back in their favor with another short, efficient touchdown drive, covering 66 yards in six plays and finding paydirt on a 19-yard pass. They would also succeed on a two-point conversion to make the score 17-14. Just two plays later, the Mules would intercept a Ruisch pass attempt, regaining possession at Susquehanna's 37-yard line. Scoring another touchdown, this time it came on the ground as the Mules' quarterback punched it in from three yards out, and suddenly Susquehanna was down two scores at 24-14 with 4:57 remaining in the third quarter.
Slowly, the climb back began for SU. Their first drive began in the third quarter and did not end until the 13:00 mark in the fourth, as they covered 80 yards in 13 plays and Ruisch mimicked his counterpart, finding the endzone with his legs, this from just a yard out. The defense continued to step up for Susquehanna in the crucial moments, forcing another three-and-out on Muhlenberg's ensuing possession. However, SU's drive stalled at the Muhlenberg 36 and they were forced to punt back to Muhlenberg, relying on their defense with just 9:02 left in the game and still down three points. The defense answered the call, allowing just one first down before stiffening to force a punt and handing the ball back to the offense with 6:32 left.
The next drive was perhaps SU's best of the day and would see them reclaim the lead for the final time with the last score of the game. Beginning on their own 28, the offense would run straight through Muhlenberg, on the shoulders of Frankie Negrini and Coulter. Negrini began with four straight carries, rushing for five, seven, nine, and then seven yards to pick up two first downs and move the River Hawks into Muhlenberg territory. From there, Coulter took the reigns and made good use of them, ripping off a game-long 42-yard rush down the right sideline before stepping out of bounds at the Muhlenberg 2. He finished his work with two consecutive one yard carries and made the score 28-24 with 3:09 left on the clock.
Fitting the theme of the rest of the day, it was the defense who closed it out for SU, forcing yet another three-and-out on the ensuing drive and then stepping up again when Muhlenberg got one last chance with the ball with 1:50 to go and no timeouts left. After a four-yard rush on first down, the Susquehanna defense forced three-straight incompletions and iced the game.
The rushing was the headline for Susquehanna, as Negrini carried 25 times for 118 yards, while Coulter ran 16 times for 89 yards and punched in two scores. No rusher on the team averaged below 4.6 yards per carry on the day. Lefever was the leading River Hawk receiver, picking up 66 yards on four catches. Meanwhile on defense, it was the linebackers who feasted, with Buck picking up 11 total tackles, along with two TFLs and 1.5 sacks. Carter had eight tackles while matching Buck with two TFLs and 1.5 sacks. Maxwell's field goal block and forced fumble also proved to be major momentum shifters in the game.
Now 9-0 overall and 8-0 in the Centennial, the River Hawks have clinched first place in the conference in their final year competing in the Centennial, preparing for a move to Landmark football next season. Their win over Hopkins last week means that a even if both teams finish with one loss, which would require Susquehanna to lose to winless Juniata college next week, Susquehanna would claim the title on the head-to-head result. That regular season finale with Juniata will take place at home in Selinsgrove, as the team will also celebrate Senior Day. That game will kickoff at 1 pm on Saturday, November 12.
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--RIVER HAWKS--
