WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The No. 20 Susquehanna University football team delivered a dominant second-half performance Saturday afternoon, outscoring Lycoming College 28-0 over the final 30 minutes to earn a 35-10 road victory. The River Hawks improved to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in Landmark Conference play, taking sole possession of first place in the conference standings while capturing the Stagg Hat Trophy for the ninth consecutive year.
How It Went Down
- The River Hawks faced an early challenge against the Warriors, who opened the scoring with a field goal midway through the first quarter. Susquehanna's defense kept Lycoming out of the end zone for the remainder of the opening period, giving the offense time to find its rhythm.
- Lycoming had a chance to double its lead in the second quarter, but a 44-yard attempt was blocked at the line, setting up the River Hawks' first scoring drive.
- With 6:57 remaining in the first half, quarterback Tommy Wright connected with Carter McCauley for a 19-yard touchdown pass. Cohen Hoover added the extra point to give the River Hawks a 7-3 advantage.
- Lycoming answered with a touchdown pass of its own to regain a 10-7 lead with 2:34 remaining in the half. Susquehanna had an opportunity to even the score before halftime, but a 28-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful, sending the River Hawks into the break trailing by three.
- Just 2:26 into the third quarter, Wright found McCauley for a 38-yard touchdown strike to put the River Hawks back in front, 14-10. The connection marked the second touchdown between the two on the afternoon.
- The defense continued to set the tone, limiting Lycoming's opportunities while the offense extended its advantage. With 6:07 remaining in the third quarter, Matt Surtz capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 21-10.
- The River Hawks carried that momentum into the fourth quarter. Wright added a one-yard rushing touchdown with 13:03 remaining, extending Susquehanna's advantage to 28-10.
- Susquehanna saved its most impressive drive for last. Taking possession with the opportunity to put the game away, the River Hawks orchestrated a 17-play, 82-yard drive that consumed 9:26 off the clock. Wright connected with McCauley for an 18-yard touchdown with 1:40 remaining, completing the scoring and sealing the 35-10 victory.
- After trailing at halftime, Susquehanna completely controlled the second half, outscoring Lycoming 28-0 to secure an important conference victory, move into sole possession of first place in the Landmark standings and bring the Stagg Hat Trophy back to Selinsgrove for the ninth straight season.
Inside the Box Score
- Tommy Wright completed 25-of-36 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception. He also added a one-yard rushing touchdown.
- Carter McCauley turned in a career-type performance with 13 receptions for 182 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdown catches accounted for all three of Wright's passing scores.
- Matt Surtz led the ground game with 112 yards on 25 carries, averaging 4.5 yards per attempt while adding a nine-yard touchdown.
- Frankie Mroz contributed four receptions for 41 yards, while Robert Stolfa added two catches for 26 yards.
- Galen Limantour led the defensive effort with six total tackles, three tackles for loss totaling 10 yards and one sack for six yards.
- Brayden Nolan recorded a team-high 10 total tackles, including five solo stops.
- Amarch Drammeh made an impact with a 13-yard sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick.
- Jaden Hines added eight total tackles, including seven solo stops.
- As a team, Susquehanna accumulated 395 yards of total offense, including 286 passing yards and 109 rushing yards. The River Hawks also controlled the clock for 34:16 and converted nine of their 18 third-down opportunities.
- Defensively, Susquehanna held Lycoming to just 226 total yards, including only 27 rushing yards on 22 attempts. The River Hawks also recorded two sacks and limited the Warriors to just four third-down conversions on 13 attempts.
Up Next for the River Hawks
- The River Hawks return home next Saturday, November 7 as they host Landmark-foe Western Connecticut State at 12 noon as they look to finish off another Landmark banner year with two games to go.
- Their final regular-season game is Saturday, November 14 at home against Juniata in another trophy game: The Goal Post Trophy. Susquehanna has won the last 10 matchups dating back to 2015.
