Shippensburg University’s football team fell 38-0 against Shepherd at Seth Grove Stadium, dropping to 1-3. The Rams used big plays to control the game, with four of their five touchdowns being at least 31 yards.
The Rams got the scoring started on their first drive of the afternoon, with their running back Malachi Brown breaking free for a 56-yard touchdown with 8:51 left in the first quarter. The Raiders got some momentum going on their next drive, reaching Rams territory, but a penalty and pair of sacks forced a punt.
The score remained 7-0 entering the second quarter, until Shepherd added another touchdown on a 31-yard completion to wide receiver Barry Hill to make it 14-0. They then did a short kickoff that deflected off freshman Ethan Arneson. The Rams recovered the ball and took advantage of the short field to score again, making it 21-0.
SU’s next drive saw the offense’s best drive of the day, but the Raiders could not convert a fourth-and-5 just outside of the redzone. The defense forced a three-and-out, but a pair of sacks on Shippensburg’s next offensive drive forced a punt. Shepherd returner Miles Greer scored a 65-yard touchdown, making it a 28-0 game at the half.
The third quarter saw Shippensburg sophomore quarterback Sam Stoner leave the game with a wrist injury after being tackled out of bounds on a scramble play. He was seen throwing on the sideline later in the game but did not return to action, likely as a precautionary measure.
Shepherd’s first drive after the injury saw a touchdown on the very first play, with Cameron Dorner hauling in a 57-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Lek Powell to make it 35-0 midway through the third quarter.
Freshman Vincent Micucci entered as quarterback for the Raiders after Stoner’s injury and led a strong drive into Shepherd territory that was undone by a pair of penalties, including a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Shippensburg sideline to force another punt.
Shepherd tacked on a field goal after a six-minute drive in the fourth quarter, moving the score to 38-0. Micucci and the offense did move the ball some but could not score, with the game ending on Shepherd’s sixth sack.
Shippensburg was outgained 310-177 in the matchup, with the run game especially struggling, only mustering 21 yards in the game. The Raiders held the ball for over 38 minutes and got 12 first downs compared to just nine for Shepherd but just could not finish a drive. This was the first time SU was shut out at home since 2008.
Stoner finished 10-for-11 with 83 yards passing, and Micucci went 10-for-13 with 73 yards and an interception. Redshirt junior Tanner Hess led the team with 21 rushing yards on 10 carries, while sophomore Karim Brice led the team in receiving yards with 46 on five catches.
On defense, junior DJ Jackson and redshirt freshman Nate Myers each had eight tackles to lead the team, with Jackson also getting a pass breakup. Senior TJ Wagner had the lone sack of the day for the SU defense.
The Raiders begin a two-game road trip by traveling to West Chester next Saturday, taking on the Rams at noon.
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