SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Zach Zulli completed 26-of-35 passes for 392 yards and four touchdowns to lead Shippensburg to a 38-28 win over Shepherd University in football action at SU Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium in the season opener for both schools on Saturday.
Shepherd took a 7-0 lead with 11:50 left in the first quarter on a one-yard plunge by junior running back Kenny Williams (Elgin, IL/Eastern Illinois). Redshirt-freshman kicker Ryan Earls (Stevensville, MD/Kent Island) added the extra point. Shippensburg answered back on a 73-yard scoring strike from Zach Zulli to Bryan Barley with 3:47 left in the first quarter to tie the game at 7-7.
Shepherd took a 14-7 lead with 1:25 left in the quarter when senior quarterback Bobby Cooper (Davidsonville, MD/South River) teamed with sophomore William McKenzie (Upper Marlboro, MD/Frederick Douglass ) on a 16-yard scoring pass. The Red Raiders tied the game at 14-all when Zulli teamed with Trevor Harman on a 52-yard scoring pass with 10:40 left in the second quarter.
Shepherd retook the lead at 21-14 on a three-yard run by Williams with 10:20 left in the second quarter. The score was set up by a 95-yard kickoff return by junior DJ Scott (Frederick, MD/Thomas Johnson). Cooper fired a 27-yard scoring strike to junior wide receiver Justin Ford (Lusby, MD/Patuxent) as the Rams converted a fourth-and-15 play with 5:42 left in the half to give the Rams a 28-14 advantage. Shippensburg cut the lead to 28-17 with 15 seconds left in the half on a 40-yard field goal by Michael Lloyd.
The Red Raiders opened the scoring in the second half on a one-yard plunge by Kevin Herod with 9:27 left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 28-24.
Zulli teamed with Jacob Baskerville on a 28-yard scoring pass with 7:05 left in the third quarter to give Shippensburg a 31-28 lead.
Shippensburg sealed the win when Zulli teamed with Harman on a nine-yard scoring pass with 3:35 left in the game.
Williams rushed for a game-high 64 yards on 13 carries for the Rams. Mike Frenette rushed 16 times for 41 yards to lead the Red Raiders.
Shippensburg rolled up 460 yards of total offense while limiting Shepherd to just 277 total offensive yards.
Cooper completed 20-of-35 passes for 229 yards for the Rams. Senior wide receiver Larry Lowe (Stafford, VA/Brooke Point) led the receivers with seven catches for 77 yards. Harman had six receptions for 105 yards for Shippensburg.
Senior linebacker A.J. Parrish (Madison Heights, VA/Amherst County) led the Rams with a game-high 13 tackles. Junior defensive end Howard Jones (Woodbridge, VA/Freedom) added six tackles and threetackles-for-loss. Mike Goode had a team-high eight tackles for the Red Raiders. Shepherd falls to 0-1, while Shippensburg improves to 1-0. The Rams return to action on next Saturday when they host American International for Ram Gridiron Club Day at noon.
Notes: Shepherd falls to 10-5 in the 15-year history of the Great Valley Classic. Shippensburg snapped a seven game losing skid in the series.
Box Score
Bobby Cooper in action for the Rams.
Dom Dixon in action for the Rams.
DJ Scott set up a score with a 95-yard kickoff return.
Mike Franklin had eight tackles on the day.
Robert Hayes applies the pressure.
Howard Jones had six tackles and a game-high three tackles-for-loss.
Kenny Williams rushed for a pair of touchdowns.
Larry Lowe had seven receptions for 77 yards.
Former Shepherd tight end Dominique Jones, now on the Indianapolis Colts, checks out the action.
Former Ram offensive lineman Mike Lux is pictured on the right. (Photos by William Ransom)
|