NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Susquehanna University football advances to the Third Round of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second straight year after Saturday's 42-28 win at Christopher Newport. The victory was a satisfying one in a multitude of ways, with Susquehanna avenging a regular-season defeat to the Captains back in Week 4. Most importantly, though, it makes the River Hawks one of 16 teams still standing in the Division III playoff race where they'll take on Eastern on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 12 noon. More information will be announced once available.

HOW IT WENT DOWN

• Susquehanna 7, CNU 0 – Susquehanna received the ball to start the game after Christopher Newport deferred the coin toss. Facing 3^rd and 4 from their own 28, quarterback Josh Ehrlich avoided a sack off the corner to find a wide open receiver in John Kradenski for 68 yards down to CNU's four yard line. One play later Ehrlich scored on a four-yard option keeper.
• Susquehanna 14, CNU 0 – After shutting down the Captains' opening drive, Susquehanna pitched together a long drive, aided by a 3^rd and 8 conversion from a screen pass to Rahshan La Mons. This paid off three plays later as Ehrlich found a wide-open Frankie Mroz over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown reception.
• Susquehanna 14, CNU 7 – Before the River Hawks could celebrate an early lead, CNU quarterback Connor Barry found receiver Colin Hart for their own 68-yard connection down to the seven yard line. Two plays later Barry ran it in from two yards out to cut the lead in half with 6:16 left in the first.
• The Susquehanna defense came up with their first big play as a deep pass by Barry down the left side was met with good coverage from Ben Fleming against receiver Ethan Barham, which was tipped high in the air for the acrobatic Kayvon Waters to make a diving play on, similar to his late-game heroics in last week's win over Washington & Jefferson. This marked perhaps the last of the excitement to wrap the opening quarter.
• Susquehanna 21, CNU 7 - The River Hawks defense came up with another INT as Barry's pass over the middle was tipped at the line by defensive tackle Brandon Shipley and into the arms of Berkeley Wagner. The senior defensive back ran it back to CNU's 24. After a key third-down conversion to Ehrlich's new favorite target in Kradenski for his fourth catch of the day, Ehrlich added another rushing touchdown to his day with a nine-yard rush with 11:45 to go in the first half.
• Defensive lineman Galen Limantour came up with back-to-back sacks to keep the Captains at bay on third and fourth down deep in SU territory, giving him five over the last two games and 11 on the year. Fellow lineman Tim Pherson Jr. got to Barry as well to get CNU off the field on another third-down try near the end of the first half.
• Susquehanna 28, CNU 7 - Susquehanna's opening two plays to start its first drive of the second half featured a 20-yard run by Rashan La Mons and Ehrlich finding Kradenski again for 26 yards. They put it all together as Ehrlich ran in a one-yard quarterback keeper for his third rushing touchdown of the day to cap an eight-play, 65-yard drive with 9:40 left in the third.
• Susquehanna 28, CNU 14 – The Captains answered on their ensuing drive, balancing the run and the pass to get down the field and capped by Barry finding receiver Colin Hart for a wide receiver screen and a 20-yard touchdown reception with 5:36 remaining in the third.
• Susquehanna 35, CNU 14 - The River Hawks faced a challenge on their next drive backed up on their own seven. It didn't dissuade them from throwing the ball as Ehrlich found some key hookups, catapulted by a 34-yard pass down the middle to senior receiver Hunter Morgenroth. They used this drive to close the third quarter and open the fourth-quarter scoring as Ehrlich threw his second touchdown pass of the day to first-year wideout Daniel Growney on a short-out to the right for a four-yard score with 14:24 left.
• Susquehanna 35, CNU 21 – Christopher Newport would not go away quietly as they strung together an eight-play, 75-yard drive that finished with a one-yard keeper from the quarterback Barry with 9:53 left in the game.
• Susquehanna 42, CNU 21 - CNU tried an onside kick, which was recovered by SU's Noah Confer to ensure the River Hawks a chance to take more time off the clock. Ehrlich kept the drive alive with a keeper to the right to convert on a 3^rd and 4 just past the Captains' midfield. Faced with several third downs, Susquehanna converted each of them to get inside the ten. After a slight scare where a replay review upheld La Mons being down by a contact that might have given CNU a fumble recovery, the sophomore back made up for it with a six-yard touchdown run with 2:36 remaining.
• Susquehanna 42, CNU 28 – Captains return man Josh Powell refused to go quietly as he took the ensuing kickoff return 96 yards to the house to keep CNU alive with 2:22 to go. Their onside kick went out of bounds, allowing the River Hawks to force the Captains to use their remaining timeouts entering the two-minute warning.
• With little time and hope remaining, CNU tried to put a last-ditch drive together, only to be intercepted again by Berkeley Wagner for his second pick of the day to call game.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The River Hawks' ball control was once again at its best at 35:13, totaling 418 yards between 250 passing and 168 rushing with 19 first downs. The Captains had 313 yards total, netting 148 through the air and 165 on the ground.
• Josh Ehrlich set a career high for rushing touchdowns in a game with three, while throwing for two more as he was responsible for each of SU's first five touchdowns. He entered the weekend ranked 21^st in Division III with 194 points responsible for.
• John Kradenski was targeted often to start the game, catching four passes for 91 yards in the opening half, including the 68-yard reception. He added one more catch in the second half as he finished with five catches for 107 yards in just his fourth game played this year.
• Waters and Wagner accounted for Susquehanna's three interceptions on the day, with Waters snagging one for his second straight game with a pick, while Wagner had two thefts. Fellow defensive back Ben Fleming totaled six tackles.
• Dominic Bourgeois made all of his extra point tries with six, breaking the school record for extra points in one season at 64-of-65. The previous record was 59-of-64 set by Elijah Hoffman in 2019. Bourgeois also holds the season field goals record at 17-of-17.
• The defense had the quarterback Barry on ice multiple times Saturday with the blitz, getting to him five times. Galen Limantour tied his career high and his single-game sack total from last week with three, while Pherson added a sack, as did defensive tackle Brian Layton. Limantour led with eight total tackles and three tackles for loss, while linebacker Jesse Ruisch had two tackles for loss as he totaled four on the afternoon.
• CNU converted just 3-of-9 third downs and 1-of-2 fourth downs. Susquehanna succeeded on 13-of-18 third-down conversion attempts.
• The River Hawks are 10-2 overall this season, marking their fourth consecutive year with ten or more wins and fifth in the last six years dating back to 2019. They are 61-9 in that span. 

UP NEXT FOR THE RIVER HAWKS

• Susquehanna advances to the third round of the NCAA Football Championship for the second straight year, moving on to play a first-time opponent in Eastern University, the automatic qualifiers from the MAC in just their third season as a varsity program. Kickoff is set for 12 noon with more information to follow.
• The Eastern Eagles defeated Franklin & Marshall in their Second Round matchup, 28-24, in Lancaster on Saturday.

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