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BOX SCORE
WALTHAM, Mass. - With a final score reading "Edinboro 47, Bentley 44", it might seem hard to believe that it was the Fighting Scot defense that spelled the difference in Edinboro's first NCAA Division II playoff win since 1990. But after playing on its heels much of the afternoon while trying to figure out an answer for Bentley's record-breaking tandem of Marc Eddy and Dallas Mall, the defense forced two turnovers in the final quarter and staged a defensive stand in the final two minutes.
Edinboro, ranked sixth in the Northeast Region and 21st nationally, improves to 9-2 while posting its seventh straight win. The nine wins ties the school record for wins in a season. The Fighting Scots move on to play at East Stroudsburg on Saturday, November 20 at 12 noon in the second round of the NCAA Division II Northeast Regional. The two teams met in Edinboro's season opener, with the Warriors claiming a 20-7 victory. Bentley saw its six-game winning streak snapped while ending the year at 8-2. The Falcons were seeded third in the region and 20th in Division II.
Almost five inches of snow fell overnight, but the offenses came out red-hot. The two teams combined for 68 first half points and 713 total yards in a wild first half that ended as it began, in a stalemate at 34-34. In the first half alone Eddy, Bentley's senior quarterback and one of two Harlon Hill Trophy finalists playing in the game, threw for 383 yards and 3 TDs. That represented the fourth-highest total by an opponent - IN JUST A HALF! Eddy would go on to throw for a Division II Playoff record 504 yards, the highest total ever against Edinboro, competing 33 of 48 passes. But he was harassed constantly in the second half by an Edinboro pass rush that recorded 6 sacks. Bentley would finish with 575 total yards, but the Falcons' high octane attack was limited to 140 total yards in the second half after gaining 435 yards at intermission.
Edinboro signalcaller Justin Bouch (Brackenridge, PA/Highlands) was brilliant in his own right, accounting for five touchdowns. The junior completed 19 of 43 passes for 304 yards with 4 TDs, adding 51 yards and a touchdown on 10 rushes. Bouch hooked up with Nate Eimer (Osewgo, IL/West Aurora) for a 23-yard touchdown pass with 5:26 remaining for the winning score, but plenty of drama remained when Kody Robertson's (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Davidson) extra point was wide right, just his third miss of the season. The score came one play after Edinboro converted a 3rd-and-10 play thanks to a brilliant catch by Justin Lipscomb (Roaming Shores, OH/Grand Valley) for 32 yards down to the Bentley 23.
Leading 47-44, Edinboro got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff when Chris Gilman (Hilliards, PA/Allegheny-Clarion Valley) forced a fumble which was recovered by Robertson at the Bentley 46. The offense was unable to gain a first down and was forced to punt, but on the second play of Bentley's series the ball was back in Edinboro's hands following another fumble. This one was caused by Seth Fragale (Emporium, PA/Cameron County), with Jim Soltis (Garrettsville, OH/Cardinal) recovering at the Edinboro 45.
Once again the Scots failed to move the football, and following another punt, Bentley took over with 2:09 remaining at its own 34. A pass interference penalty moved the ball up to midfield, and a 15-yard completion from Eddy to Mall gave Bentley a first down at the Edinboro 36 with 1:48 left. It would be the last completion for Eddy, however. Following an incomplete pass and a run for four yards, Eddy was sacked for a loss of a yard by Greg MacAnn (Rochester, NY/Athena) on third down. On 4th-and-7, Eddy dropped back to pass but was hit by a blitzing Brandon Banas (Buffalo, NY/McKinley) and was pass was not close to a Falcon receiver.
Bentley took its first lead of the game following one of Bouch's few mistakes on the afternoon. On the first play of the second half, Bouch threw an interception that was returned 42 yards for a touchdown by Anthony Seaforth. The extra point gave Bentley a 41-34 lead just 12 seconds into the third quarter. Edinboro answered with the lone sustained drive of the day, going 65 yards in 13 plays. Matt Phillips (Monaca, PA/Monaca) capped the march with a two-yard plunge for the tying score. The Fighting Scots converted three times on third down in the drive.
Edinboro forced to a Bentley punt on the next series, but Lipscomb was unable to catch the ball in the swirling winds and the Falcons recovered at the Edinboro 15. They would settle for a 33-yard field goal by Enzo Tirino with 4:01 left in the third quarter, but it would be their last points of the day.
The first half featured both teams going up and down the field to the tune of 68 points and 713 yards. The first quarter was innocent enough, with Edinboro leading 14-7. The second quarter saw Bentley outscore the Fighting Scots, 27-20, with the two teams combining for seven touchdowns in eight possession at one point.
Edinboro posted the first score of the afternoon after Tom Davidson (Geneva, OH/Geneva) came up with his eighth interception of the season on the third play of the game. The redshirt freshman returned the pickoff 27 yards to the Bentley 14. The Scots needed just three plays to reach paydirt, with Bouch scoring on a one-yard run.
In a sign of things to come, Eddy shook off the interception to lead the Falcons to a score just two plays later. After a 35-yard pass completion, Eddy found Mall for his 76th career touchdown reception, a brilliant 32-yard throw-and-catch. The game was less than three minutes old and already there were 14 points on the scoreboard.
The teams exchanged punts, with Edinboro taking over at its own 43 after a 16-yard punt into the wind. Four plays later Andre Burke (Wilkinsburg, PA/Valley) burst off left tackle, bounced the run to the left sideline and went 41 yards for his 118th touchdown run of the year with 6:53 left in the first quarter.
The Scots used another Bentley turnover, one of four on the day, to take a 20-7 lead. Soltis came up with the first of his two fumble recoveries at the Falcon 20. Edinboro advanced to the Bentley 3 but was stopped and forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Robertson. The Falcons were called for illegally leaping over the line in an attempt to block the field goal, and head coach lou Tepper took the points off the board and went for six. On second-and-goal, freshman tight end Kyle Witucki (Tarentum, PA/Highlands) pulled in his first career touchdown pass, a one-yarder from Bouch. The Scots failed to convert the extra point due to a fumbled snap.
That score, at the 14:07 mark of the second quarter, set up a string of seven touchdowns in the next 13 minutes. Eddy drove Bentley to the Edinboro 3, and J.J. Sullivan scored on a three-yard run to close the lead to 20-14. It took Edinboro just four plays to counter that score. The final 39 yards were courtesy of a Bouch pass to Lipscomb, extending the junior's streak of consecutive games with at least one catch to 33. Bentley responded with the second of three Eddy to Mall touchdown hookups, this one covering 33 yards and breaking the Division II record for career TD catches. Mall's 77th career touchdown reception broke the record of 76 previously set by David Kircus of Grand Valley State. The extra point left Edinboro ahead 27-21.
Back came the Scots, looking to once again boost the margin to two touchdowns. But Burke's fumble at the three was recovered by Bentley and returned to the 20. Instead of going up by 13 points, Edinboro found the score tied less than two minutes later when the Eddy to Mall connection struck for its third touchdown of the first half, this one from 20 yards out. Bentley failed to convert the extra point, and the score was tied at 27-27 with 5:17 left in the half.
That proved to be plenty of time for both teams. Now going from the shotgun, a formation Edinboro would use a great deal the rest of the game, Bouch threw his third touchdown of the first half, as Ryan Valasek (Natrona Heights, PA/Highlands) beat the Bentley secondary for a 36-yard touchdown. Bentley tied the score at 34-all with 1:03 remaining as Eddy ran the ball in from 9 yards out to cap a 7-play, 75-yard drive.
Bentley's 575 total yards represented the fifth-highest total ever against Edinboro. Edinboro added 475 total yards as the two teams combined for 1,050 yards. While not as balanced as Tepper normally likes, the Scots still ran for 171 yards in addition to passing for 304 yards. Bentley managed just 71 yards on the ground, the seventh time in 11 games the Scots have had an opponent under 100 yards rushing.
Burke paced the ground game with 88 yards on 16 carries, snapping a string of six straight 100-yard games. In the process the junior tailback moved into second place in season rushing, now showing 1,675 yards. He needs 24 yards to break the record of 1,698 yards held by Gerald Thompson. Burke is also a Harlon Hill Trophy regional finalist.
Bouch's 355 total yards fell just three yards shy of the single game record for total offense. He now has 2,152 yards passing this season, the second-highest season total and within 57 yards of the record of 2,209 held by Jody Dickerson. Lipscomb also moved up in the record books, catching 4 passes for 108 yards. He tied the school record for catches in a season (50) and moved up to third in career receiving yards with 1,932.
Soltis sparked the defensive effort with 8 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries. Chris Amico (Webster, NY/West Irondequoit) and MacAnn each had 2 sacks.
~ Fighting Scots ~
Edinboro Athletic Press Release Index
Created on ... November 14, 2004