Box Score

Post-Game Audio:
Rees on Bounceback
Rossi on Game-Winning TD
Rossi on Finishing Games
DiFebbo on Team Effort

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Shippensburg University head coach Rocky Rees earned his 150th career coaching victory on Saturday afternoon as a 27-yard touchdown reception by senior Mark Rossi completed a fourth-quarter comeback for the Red Raider football team that resulted in a rousing 26-22 victory over the Kutztown Golden Bears from Seth Grove Stadium.

Shippensburg (5-2, 3-1 PSAC East) trailed by three points with 3:35 to play after the Golden Bears completed a 6-play, 54-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown pass and a two-point conversion. The ensuing squib kick crawled to the 20-yard line and was returned an up-back, redshirt freshman linebacker Tyrik Clary, who scampered 27 yards on his first career kickoff return.

After a 15-yard reception from redshirt senior Chad DiFebbo to Rossi brought the Red Raiders to the Kutztown 38-yard line, SU would run three plays that resulted in a fourth-and-four from the 32-yard line. DiFebbo, who set career-highs for completions and passing yards in the contest, found redshirt senior split end Mike Harris for an 11-yard reception that continued the drive.

One incompletion and a six-yard sack left Shippensburg facing a third-and-16 with less than one minute to play. Undaunted, DiFebbo stepped back and found Rossi on a crossing route with 55 seconds to play that gave the Red Raiders the lead that held to the final whistle.

DiFebbo finished the afternoon completing 21-of-39 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. His performances ranks 10th in school history for a single game and is the most since Gabe Maiocco '08 threw for 369 yards in 2007 against Lock Haven. DiFebbo's previous career highs were 19 completions and 321 passing yards set last season against Millersville.

Rossi, who entered the season with just two career touchdown receptions, finished the afternoon with four receptions for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Through seven games this season, Rossi has totaled 12 receptions for 144 yards and seven touchdowns.

Harris totaled more than 100 receiving yards for the third time this season and the 11th time in his career, totaling nine receptions for 134 yards. With four games remaining in the regular season, Harris needs just eight receptions to tie the school record of Jamie Ware '99 for career pass catches. He also needs 746 receiving yards to tie Ware's record for career receiving yardage.

Shippensburg opened the scoring seven minutes into the first quarter on a 55-yard pass play from DiFebbo to freshman tailback Mike Frenette, who streaked up the middle of the field and made a nice catch before finding the end zone. The Golden Bears answered 19 seconds later, when talented senior tailback Dontay Wilson scampered 60 yards to tie the score at 7-7.

Wilson, who last season ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns against Shippensburg, entered the game averaging 5.2 yards per carry and ranking fourth in the PSAC with 513 rushing yards. On 11 other carries from scrimmage, Wilson totaled just 21 yards and finished the day with 81 total.

A pair of second quarter field goals by senior Kyler Ford gave Shippensburg a 13-7 lead at halftime. Kutztown needed less than five minutes to take a 14-13 lead early on the third quarter after a quarterback sneak from Kevin Morton capped off a 10-play, 54-yard drive with a touchdown.

With 6:16 to play, Rossi completed an 8-play, 61-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown reception that gave Shippensburg a 19-14 advantage. The two-point conversion attempt failed, and Kutztown then re-took the lead on the ensuing drive to setup the excitement in the final five minutes of the game.

Defensively, the Red Raiders received a breakthrough performance from sophomore linebacker Vinnie Ranauto, who made eight solo stops along with one tackle assist to lead the team while recording a sack and an interception. SU finished with nine tackles for loss, including four sacks, and senior Tyton Brunner recovered a key fumble in the second half.

Rees, whose Raiders have now eclipsed their win totals of the 2007 and 2008 seasons, has compiled a career coaching record of 150-118-2 and a record at Shippensburg of 114-103-1. He ranks 10th among active Division II coaches and seventh in the history of the PSAC for coaching victories.

Shippensburg will return to action next weekend with Homecoming from Seth Grove Stadium. The Red Raiders will take on West Chester at 1 p.m. The two teams remain tied for second in the PSAC Eastern Division, one game behind Bloomsburg.