SELINSGROVE, PA - Even with their loss to SUNY Cortland earlier this year, the Susquehanna University football team had never found themselves behind at halftime in any game this season. That was until Moravian stepped onto Amos Alonzo Stagg Field at Doug Arthur Stadium Saturday as the Greyhounds, who stood alongside the River Hawks as the last unbeaten teams in Landmark Conference play, were up 20-14 at the break. Despite two bursts that produced lengthy touchdowns for Susquehanna from running back Rahshan La Mons and receiver Kyle Howes, Susquehanna's offense was stifled in the early going as Moravian picked off quarterback Josh Ehrlich twice for just his second and third interceptions of the season. The River Hawks finally found a rhythm in the second half by turning to the running game, emphasizing short-yardage gains, and opportunistic defense to groundswell 35 second-half points towards a 49-34 win. 

As the last remaining unbeaten Landmark Conference team after dethroning Wilkes and Moravian from that moniker the last two weeks, Susquehanna goes into its bye week locking down the Landmark title for the second straight year. In two weeks the River Hawks look to make it their second straight year with a 6-0 Landmark ledger when they travel to Lycoming on Saturday, Nov. 16 in a 12 noon kickoff. Saturday also marked Senior Day for Susquehanna's football and cheer programs as the team honored its 22 football student-athletes and three from cheerleading. The upperclassman Howes had himself a day with one receiving touchdown and one rushing touchdown, ultimately hauling in three passes for 96 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown reception for the team's second score of the day.

Moravian, well aware of the task at hand, knew that they needed to pull out all the stops in order to knock off the River Hawks, a team that for the second straight week stood at sixth in the AFCA Coaches Poll and seventh in the D3football.com Top 25, along with a number-16 ranking in the NCAA Division III Power Index (NPI). From the opening kickoff the Greyhounds made their presence known, attempting a surprise onside kick that they almost came up with but took a Susquehanna bounce and recovered by Frankie Mroz at the SU 45. Almost as quickly the River Hawks countered as Ehrlich handed the ball off left to La Mons, who changed direction and bounced it to the right side with open room and great downfield blocking from Howes that set him to the corner and the game's first score. Any signs of a runaway victory, something Susquehanna has been known to do, were quickly dashed as Moravian used its first drive to blaze 79 yards and over six minutes to score off a Jared Jenkins touchdown pass to Jordan Bingham. The extra point attempt was blocked by senior Jake Schultes, which kickstarted his superb Senior Day as he logged a pair of sacks on the afternoon.

Ehrlich, who had just one interception all year to go with 23 passing TDs, saw his luck turn early on as on the team's ensuing drive looked to hook up deep with Howes, but it was intercepted by Shea Endean. The Greyhounds proceeded to go on another marathon drive that produced another touchdown pass from Jenkins to Diego Del Castillo. In a sign of things to come, Susquehanna's defense once again denied points after the touchdown as Moravian's two-point conversation fell flat, though still had them in the lead after one quarter, 12-7. With another possession came another opportunity for the River Hawks as Ehrlich found Howes over the middle to convert a crucial third and four, but Howes opted to take the fast lane for points as he broke a tackle from Endean and kept his balance to run it in and help Susquehanna regain the lead, 14-12. While SU's defense forced a three-and-out from Moravian to get the ball back, the Greyhounds got their second takeaway of the day as they stripped running back Matt Surtz of the ball and recovering it on Susquehanna's 34. This set into motion another MU score as Jenkins' third touchdown pass of the day went to Bingham on a three-yard strike. The Greyhounds even got their points after the touchdown following Jenkins running in the two-point conversion to lead 20-14. It looked as though the River Hawks had their chance to regain the lead before halftime after getting to Moravian's six yard line with just over one minute to go before halftime. But Moravian seized the momentum as Ehrlich's attempt to thread it in to Howes was undercut by Chris Cacace and kept the Greyhounds in the lead by six at the break.

With the Greyhounds set to receive the second half kickoff, SU's defense knew they had to make a stand. That was when Schultes stepped up to administer his first sack of the day that deflated Moravian's drive and got the ball back to Susquehanna. It appeared the River Hawks' drive had stalled when they punted it away, but received a stroke of good fortune as a running-into-the-kicker penalty was called to extend the drive and perhaps turn the tide. SU wasted no time with this newfound momentum, while rectifying their late first half mistake as La Mons helped carry the team down the field on a series of moderate gains, resulting in a four-yard touchdown run to go back in front, 21-20. The defense was duty bound to preserve the lead as on the Greyhounds' next drive Berkely Wagner intercepted Jenkins on a fourth down attempt that led to SU's next score. Marching down to MU's nine, Ehrlich ran in a keeper from nine yards out as Susquehanna built its lead to 28-20, while the defense shut out the Greyhounds all third quarter.

This carried over to the fourth as Susquehanna made it 21 unanswered when following a 35-yard completion from Ehrlich to Howes, La Mons scored on a five-yard run, giving him his third touchdown of the day as he gained 176 yards rushing on 27 carries on the day for an average of 6.5 yards per rush. He reached the 1,000 yard mark on the year with 1,007 yards with 12 rushing touchdowns for a grand total of 18 total TDs between rushing, receiving, and returning. Moravian was not to be counted out. They skillfully worked around the returning prowess of La Mons and Howes, both with multiple return touchdowns on the season, as every punt and kickoff was pooched high or directed out of bounds. This strategy looked to pay off as the Greyhounds kept pace with the River Hawks, even with the swing of momentum in the third quarter. Moravian got it back to a one-touchdown game when Jenkins again hooked up with Bingham for a six-yard touchdown pass, then converting another two-point conversion to make it 35-28. This margin quickly vanished as Moravian sent the ensuing kickoff out of bounds for Susquehanna to set up at the 35. A 15-yard facemask penalty moved the River Hawks closer at Moravian's 41, where Ehrlich completed a 36-yard pass to tight end Rowen Hershey, who shimmied his way to a wide open part of the secondary, to put the ball at the five. The River Hawks ran a reverse play to get into the endzone as La Mons took a handoff to the right and pitched it back to Howes with an open left side to his advantage to rebuild the lead back to two touchdowns at 42-28. 

Running out of time, the Greyhounds were able to score a touchdown, but not before four-and-a-half minutes drained off the clock with 4:29 to go. And to boot, another two-point conversion attempt was unrealized as the team trailed 42-34. It took two plays for the River Hawks to all but seal the game just moments later. Surtz re-entered the game at running and quickly reassured any doubters about his fumble from earlier with a 69-yard touchdown run to go up, 49-34. This run catapulted Surtz as the game's second 100-yard rusher next to La Mons with 101 yards on five carries for an average of 20.2 yards per rush, while upping his yard per carry average on the season to 10.6 (478 yards on 45 carries). Moravian's last gasp came with 1:27 remaining and no timeouts. SU's defense came through with their last two sacks on the day, beginning with Schultes' second takedown of Jenkins, then fellow lineman Tim Pherson Jr. ended the day gloriously with a walkoff sack on the final play.

Though Moravian controlled the ball for an allotment of 37 minutes and 18 seconds, Susquehanna kept them in the average percentile on third-down conversions (8-of-18) and fourth-down tries (4-of-7), while taking down Jenkins a total of three times with one interception. This overshadowed Jenkins' five-touchdown passing day where he completed 35-of-57 for 299 yards, whereas Ehrlich turned in a day that saw him complete 10-of-16 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown pass and one rushing touchdown. On defense Schultes final stat line also featured six total tackles, including four solo and two for loss, along with a QB hurry. Pherson, too, had six total tackles with two for loss, as well as two solo tackles. Linebacker Jesse Ruisch, who got the start Saturday in place of a few injured players ahead of him, found himself in the right place at the right time with 16 total tackles, including ten solo, while coming up with 1.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups. His tackles count was the most for any River Hawk in any game this season. On special teams kicker Dominic Bourgeois got the call on every extra-point attempt for the first time this season, successfully making all seven attempts, while sending eight kickoffs away for 389 yards with two touchbacks, an average of 48.6 yards. 

Looking ahead the River Hawks look to finish business when they travel to Lycoming in two weeks, hoping to don the Stagg Hat Trophy and a perfect 6-0 Landmark slate to go with their league title. Susquehanna now stands at 5-0 in conference play and 8-1 overall, while Moravian and Wilkes sit tied in second with 3-1 Landmark records. They'll meet in two weeks also. The River Hawks traveled to Wilkes last week, taking back with them a 48-21 victory.