Millersville University Football Team Falls to Kutztown in 3 Overtimes

MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL TEAM FALLS TO KUTZTOWN IN THREE OVERTIMES

Nov. 10, 2007 – Kutztown quarterback Kyle Spotts' eight-yard touchdown run in the third overtime gave the Golden Bear's a wild 26-23 win over Millersville at Beimesderfer Stadium's Chryst Field on Saturday in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action. This game was the regular-season finale for both teams.

Spotts, a senior playing his final collegiate game, dove into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown after finding a seam on the left side on first-and-goal. He finished with 147 yards passing and 42 yards on the ground.

The Golden Bears (5-6, 2-3 PSAC East) needed at least a field goal on that drive to keep the game going after Millersville kicker John Banshof (so. Lancaster/McCaskey) nailed a 39-yard field goal to begin the third overtime. Banshof had missed wide on field goals of 37 and 35 yards in the first and second overtimes.

Millersville linebacker Matt Buck (sr. Montgomery/Montgomery Area), who tied for the team high for the Marauders (3-8, 2-3 PSAC East) with 10 tackles, blocked a 34-yard field goal by Matt Dineen to end the first OT. Buck added a key 8-yard sack on third down during Kutztown's second overtime possession that helped force the Golden Bears to turn the ball over on downs.

As if the overtimes weren't wild enough, Millersville scored a go-ahead touchdown on the final play of the first half after a controversial delay-of-game penalty was called on the Golden Bears. With 13 seconds remaining before halftime, MU running back Brad Lantz , (so. Towanda/Towanda) who finished with a career-high 152 yards on 33 carries and added two touchdowns, ran up the middle on from the one-yard line but was stuffed by Kutztown linebacker Brian Bingnear (22 tackles).

The clock ran out before MU could get off another play. The Golden Bears trotted off the field and the Millersville band began their halftime show, but Millersville head coach Joe Trainer ran to the officials to plead for a delay-of-game call. The officials called the penalty after conferencing for several minutes – they said a KU player prevented an official from retrieving the ball to re-spot it - and the Golden Bears eventually walked back onto the field. Millersville band members rushed off the field in mid-performance.

Millersville set up for a field goal but chose to go for a touchdown after Kutztown called timeout. Quarterback Bill Shirk (fr. Phoenixville/Phoenixville) muscled his way through the pile on a one-yard sneak. Banshof's extra point was no good and the Marauders had a 13-6 lead at halftime.

Kutztown responded right away in the second half, marching 68 yards on in 5:59 for the tying score. An offsides penalty on Millersville – the Marauders had 14 penalties on the day for 123 yards – on what would have been an incomplete pass on third down kept the drive alive. Spotts rushed in for the score from one-yard out.

Shirk found Millersville wide receiver Randall Eggleton (sr. Philadelphia/John Bartram) for 27 yards to the KU 18 early in the fourth quarter. Lantz did the rest, running for gains of three and eight yards before punching in a seven-yard touchdown to give the Marauders a 20-13 lead with 12:46 to play.

KU once again struck back on the ensuing drive when Spotts capped a 14-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 8:22 to play. The score would remain 20-20 until overtime.

Lantz gave Millersville a 7-0 lead on a two-yard touchdown run with eight minutes to play in the first quarter. Kutztown would not answer until 2:14 remained before halftime. Kutztown running back Dontay Wilson ran four yards for the score, but Ryan Nye's extra point attempt was deflected.

Jamal Smith (fr. Camp Hill/Trinity) also rushed for over 100 yards (106 on eight carries), including a 52-yard sprint that set up Millersville's score before halftime. He completed four of 12 passes for 19 yards and one interception. Shirk completed three of seven passes for 43 yards and an interception.

The contest was the final collegiate game for 11 Millersville seniors – Buck, Eggleton, Brandon Shelton (New Oxford/Gettysburg Area), who had six tackles, three passes defensed, Eric Marshall (McSherrystown/New Oxford), who tied for the team high with 10 tackles and added two sacks, Brandon Tyler (Gettysburg/Gettysburg Area), who had three tackles, Andrew Pugh (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg), who had four tackles, Jason Krol (Boothwyn/Garnet Calley), who six tackles and two passes defensed, defensive lineman Peter Bowen (Dillsburg/Northern York), and offensive lineman Sean Plunkett (Jenkintown/Chestnut Hill Academy), Matthew Long (Marysville/Susquenita) and Ray Fowle (Gaithersburg, Md./Magruder).

Shelton finished his career with 16 interceptions, tied for the top spot in Millersville history with Jeff Raber (1985 graduate) and Darren Ryals (1989 graduate).

This game was the first overtime contest at Beimesderfer Stadium since Millersville's Oct. 20, 2001 loss to West Chester by a score of 24-21.