SELINSGROVE, PA. – The Susquehanna University football team capped its regular season in dominant fashion Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 56-7 victory over Juniata College to secure the Landmark Conference Championship. The River Hawks finished a perfect 6-0 in conference play and 9-1 overall, claiming the program's fourth consecutive Landmark Conference football title and fifth straight NCAA appearance. They also achieved their fourth straight unbeaten Landmark season, combining for a 24-0 in-conference record since 2023.
Susquehanna controlled the contest from the opening kickoff, scoring in all three quarters before Juniata found the scoreboard in the fourth. The River Hawks built a 35-0 halftime advantage and added three more touchdowns in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.
Matt Surtz led the way with a historic performance, rushing for four touchdowns and surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for the season. His 20 rushing touchdowns broke Susquehanna's single-season school record. Surtz also became the 12th player in program history to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season. His 130 yards rushing for the day puts him at 1,124 on the year.
Surtz's fellow upperclassmen all played a major part as Saturday also marked the team's senior day. Many seniors had opportunities to contribute in the win, with senior quarterback
Tommy Wright throwing for two touchdowns, including one to senior receiver
Marcus Hines for his first career touchdown.
How It Went Down
- Juniata caught Susquehanna by surprise on the opening kickoff, successfully executing a surprise onside kick to start with the ball. The Eagles' drive stalled at Susquehanna's 23, where Kaiden Snare's 41-yard field goal attempt into the wind fell short of the mark.
- Susquehanna wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After an eight-play, 77-yard opening drive, Tommy Wright found tight end Noah Confer out in the flat, who turned it up the field for a 53-yard touchdown reception with 8:06 remaining in the first quarter. Cohen Hoover added the extra point to give the River Hawks a 7-0 lead.
- The Susquehanna defense helped preserve that advantage by making Juniata work for every yard. Nikolas Webb brought down Juniata quarterback Isaiah Randall for a sack during the Eagles' opening possession, and the defense later forced a turnover on downs near the Susquehanna 25-yard line to keep Juniata off the scoreboard.
- The River Hawks took control in the second quarter, putting together three touchdown drives and adding a special teams score. Surtz capped an eight-play, 92-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run at the 9:52 mark. Just under three minutes later, Susquehanna got the ball back and needed only four plays to cover 33 yards, with Surtz finding the end zone again on a four-yard run to make it 21-0.
- Surtz completed his first-half hat trick with a third rushing touchdown, this time from three yards out, at 2:12 to tie the program record with 19 rushing touchdowns, matching Da'Avian Ellington's record from 2019. The six-play, 70-yard drive pushed the River Hawks' lead to 28-0.
- Susquehanna's special teams added the final points of the half in dramatic fashion. With Juniata punting from inside its own 20, linebacker Omari Cofield broke through with a block and ran it in to close out the first-half scoring leading 35-0.
- The River Hawks continued their dominant play coming out of the break. With Juniata receiving to start the second half, Randall's pass on the opening play was picked off by Jaden Hines. The offense responded with an eight-play, 32-yard scoring drive. At the one yard line, Surtz got the call to break the school rushing record for season touchdowns, making it 42-0 with 10:14 left in the third.
- The defense struck again on Juniata's next possession. Just one play after the ensuing drive reached the end zone, Carter Burton intercepted a Juniata pass and returned it for a touchdown, extending the lead to 49-0.
- Susquehanna added its final touchdown of the afternoon with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter. Wright connected with Marcus Hines for a 14-yard touchdown pass to cap a 10-play, 54-yard drive and give the River Hawks a 56-0 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
- Juniata scored its lone touchdown on a four-yard rush with 14:30 remaining in the game, but Susquehanna's commanding lead remained intact as the River Hawks closed out the 56-7 victory and celebrated their Landmark Conference championship.
Inside the Box Score
- Susquehanna finished with 410 yards of total offense on 72 plays, averaging 5.7 yards per play. The River Hawks outgained Juniata by 202 yards and held a 21-9 advantage in first downs.
- The River Hawks established their ground game throughout the afternoon, rushing for 227 net yards on 53 carries and averaging 4.3 yards per attempt.
- Matt Surtz paced the rushing attack with 130 yards on 21 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt. His four touchdowns brought his season total to a school-record 20, while his 1,000-yard season made him the 12th player in program history to reach the milestone.
- Drew Hutchins added 60 yards on 13 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. Tommy Wright contributed 18 net rushing yards on four attempts.
- Wright completed 11-of-17 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. Aiden Collins also completed both of his pass attempts for 17 yards, giving Susquehanna 183 net passing yards as a team.
- Noah Confer caught one pass for 53 yards and a touchdown, accounting for the River Hawks' opening score. Carter McCauley added two receptions for 51 yards, including a long reception of 47 yards, while Marcus Hines hauled in a 14-yard touchdown catch.
- Susquehanna converted 7-of-15 third-down opportunities and was successful on three of its five fourth-down attempts. The River Hawks also held the ball for 37:37, compared to Juniata's 22:23.
- The River Hawk defense came away with four interceptions, with Micah Stamper, Bezy Nwanonyiri, Jaden Hines and Carter Burton each recording a pick. Burton returned his interception for a touchdown, while Hines returned his 12 yards to set up another Susquehanna score.
- Susquehanna's defense totaled two sacks for eight yards lost and seven tackles for loss totaling 17 yards. The unit also recorded five pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.
- The defense and special teams helped produce 21 points off turnovers. Omari Cofield added a one-yard punt return touchdown after recovering a muffed Juniata punt at the Eagles' one-yard line.
- The River Hawks averaged 41.5 yards on two punts, with Nick Bloss recording a 51-yard punt that landed inside the 20-yard line.
Up Next for the River Hawks
- With the Landmark Conference Championship secured, Susquehanna now awaits its NCAA Division III Football Championship Tournament destination. The NCAA selection show is scheduled for Sunday evening, when the River Hawks will learn their first-round opponent and postseason path.
