SHIPPENSBURG, PA (October 10, 2009) – The Kutztown University football team suffered a heartbreaking 26-22 defeat  to Shippensburg University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division game at Seth Grove Stadium Saturday afternoon. (BOXSCORE)

On an afternoon when Kutztown senior running back Dontay Wilson (Stamford, CT/Stamford) became the 10^th player in school history to run for 2,000 career yards, Shippensburg and Kutztown treated the crowd to a buffet of big plays and a furious finish highlighted by three lead changes in the final seven minutes of the game.

Kutztown (3-4 overall, 1-3 PSAC East) displayed character and poise by overcoming a pair of second-half deficits to put itself in a position to win. After Shippensburg (5-2, 3-1) took the lead for good with 55 seconds remaining, the Golden Bears moved the ball to the Shippensburg 46-yard line before the drive stalled with eight seconds remaining.

Kutztown appeared to be on the verge of victory when freshman wide receiver Dominick Massey (Abington/Abington) caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Morton (Abington/Abington) in the back of the end zone with three minutes, 35 seconds remaining. Freshman wide receiver Jake Cahill (Ridley Park/Ridley) caught the ensuing two-point conversion to put Kutztown ahead, 22-19.

Shippensburg responded with a 9-play, 53-yard drive in less than three minutes that ended with Mark Rossi catching his second touchdown of the game, a 27-yarder that helped Shippensburg reclaim the lead. On the winning touchdown drive, Shippensburg converted a fourth-and-4 and a third-and-16 to beat Kutztown for the first time since 2006.

Kutztown gained 206 of its 290 yards of total offense in the second half. The Golden Bears rushed for 187 yards. Wilson finished with a game-high 81 yards on 12 carries. With his second carry of the game, Wilson joined the elite 2,000-yard club.

Defensively, senior defensive back Mike Gardier (Dunmore/Dunmore) led Kutztown with nine tackles and junior linebacker Joel Irwin (Coatesville/Bishop Shanahan) added eight tackles. Junior defensive lineman Kevin Bolinsky (Ashland/North Schuylkill) finished with two sacks. It was his second multi-sack game of the season.

The Kutztown defense held Shippensburg to 82 yards rushing, the fourth team this season to be limited to fewer than 100 rushing yards. This was the first time this season that Shippensburg was held under 100 rushing yards. Kutztown also held Shippensburg, the PSAC leader in scoring offense (36.3), 10 points below its average.

Wilson’s milestone run was one to remember.

At precisely 1:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Wilson took a pitch from Morton and made a quick move to elude a tackler, hit the hole, and sprinted down the right sideline in front of the Shippensburg bench for a 60-yard touchdown that tied the game, 7-7, with 7:36 remaining in the first quarter. A huge block by junior running back and kick returner Kendell Coleman (Philadelphia/Martin Luther King) sprang Wilson on his scoring carry.

The last time a Kutztown running back reached the 2,000-yard career rushing plateau was 2004 when Stephen Gammage did the honors. With his effort Saturday, Wilson raised his career rushing total to 2,033 yards.

Kutztown turned the game around in the third quarter by gaining 136 yards. Morton finished off Kutztown’s opening drive of the second half with a 1-yard quarterback sneak that gave Kutztown its first lead of the game, 14-13, with 10:39 remaining. Morton had a career best 63-yard run during the third quarter. Morton completed 13-of-28 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Freshman wide receiver Chris McCormick (West Chester/East) led KU with four catches for 38 yards.

Despite generating 84 yards of offense in the opening 30 minutes, Kutztown trailed, 13-7 at intermission after Shippensburg’s Kyler Ford made a pair of field goals in the second quarter.

The game began with a Fourth-of-July-like fireworks bang. Shippensburg and Kutztown had three plays that covered 50 or more yards in the opening eight minutes. Aside from allowing a 55-yard touchdown catch to the Red Raiders’ Mike Frenette, the Kutztown defense was stout in the first quarter. The other two plays that covered 50 or more yards was Wilson’s touchdown run and Kevin Marshall’s 75-yard kickoff return to begin the game for Shippensburg.

Overall, the teams combined for nine plays that went for 20 or more yards during the game.

Both teams will celebrate homecoming next week. Kutztown hosts East Stroudsburg University beginning at 1:05 p.m. Meanwhile, Shippensburg is home against West Chester starting at 1 p.m.

--KU--