Box Score
Rocky Rees Audio

Media Coverage:
Meadville Tribune
Erie Times-News
Carlisle Sentinel
Chambersburg Public Opinion

EDINBORO, Pa. - The Shippensburg University football team held No. 15 Edinboro scoreless through three quarters of football - a feat not achieved by any team in two years - while the Red Raiders functioned on all cylinders in a rousing 24-14 victory over the Fighting Scots on Saturday afternoon from Sox Harrison Stadium.

Shippensburg (1-1) forced three turnovers, including two interceptions, and dictated the pace of the contest all afternoon. The Red Raiders employed a 3-4 setup and one of the beneficiaries of the day's unique scheme was redshirt senior Josh Simmons, whose 59-yard interception return in the third quarter directly set up the first touchdown of the game.

Simmons had the game of his life for Shippensburg, totaling a career-high 13 tackles (including eight solo stops) along with the interception, a pass breakup and a key forced fumble. In the final minute of the first half, with Edinboro having driven to the Red Raider 15-yard line, Simmons' crushing third-down hit on Michael Battles forced a fumble that was recovered by junior Nick Melusky to keep game scoreless heading into halftime.

Another momentum factor came early in the first quarter, with Edinboro having reached the Red Raider 30-yard line. On second down, Fighting Scot quarterback Trevor Harris through a deep-in route to the end zone expecting his receiver to be wide open, but instead redshirt junior cornerback Travis Proctor snuck into the play and picked off the pass. The turnover excited the Red Raider sidelines and further kickstarted the team's energy.

Shippensburg embarked upon a 13-play, 63 yard drive to start the third quarter that resulted in a 28-yard field goal by senior place kicker Kyler Ford. Save for a sack at the end of the drive, the other 12 plays on the drive were runs, including bursts of 12 and 21 yards by junior tailback Kevin Marshall and a key six-yard scramble by redshirt senior quarterback Chad DiFebbo on a fourth-and-3.

Simmons' interception occurred on the ensuing drive. On a second-and-1, Harris threw a pass that was tipped by redshirt senior lineman Tyton Brunner and plucked out of the air by Simmons at the 32-yard line. The former halfback maneuvered his way down to the Edinboro 9-yard line, and on fourth-and-inches, redshirt freshman Kevin Herod found the end zone for his first career touchdown to give SU a 10-0 lead.

After snuffing a fake punt near the end of the third quarter, the Red Raiders started their next offensive possession at their own 48-yard line and scored another touchdown less than four minutes later. The 7-play, 52-yard drive featured two huge third-down conversions, including a 30-yard catch on a third-and-8 by freshman tailback Mike Frenette and a 15-yard catch by senior Mike Harris on a third-and-7. Herod plunged into the end zone with 12:48 to play to give SU a 17-0 lead.

Edinboro's next drive featured six pass attempts, and five of them fell incomplete. Starting a new drive at the 50-yard line, DiFebbo led SU on the team's final scoring drive and secured the team's third touchdown with a 27-yard connection to Harris on a third-and-7 play that put the Red Raiders on the 3-yard line. Marshall took a lateral pass and ran in the end zone to cap off the drive.

The defining aspect of the game was undeniably the Red Raider defense, which hit hard from the start and believed in itself the entire contest. The schemes and coverages orchestrated by assistant coaches Mark Maciejewski and Mike Burket along with head coach Rocky Rees were employed to perfection by the Red Raiders, who totaled eight pass breakups and a multitude of quarterback hurries in the contest.

Harlon Hill candidate Harris was hounded all day by the relentless Red Raider defense and was constantly dodging blitzing linebackers or linemen that swatted down numerous pass attempts. He finished the day 25-of-46 for 246 yards and two touchdowns, with 138 of those yards and both touchdowns coming in the fourth quarter after the Red Raiders had already gained a 24-0 lead. Through three quarters, Harris was just 14-of-24 for 108 yards and two interceptions.

Capitalizing on the field position and the opportunities provided by the defense, the SU offense ran the ball 56 times, the most attempts in any game since Oct. 22, 2005, and averaged 3.4 yards per rush. The Wing-T was utilized to perfection, as Herod averaged 3.2 yards per carry in the contest while Marshall totaled 99 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry.

Shippensburg averaged 10.9 yards per pass attempt and 13.6 yards per pass completion in the contest while the vaunted Edinboro passing attack was limited to just 5.2 yards per attempt and 9.6 yards per completion. DiFebbo finished the game 8-of-10 for 109 yards.

The Red Raiders will open their home schedule next Saturday with a 1 p.m. matinee against PSAC Western Division opponent Lock Haven on Parents and Family Day from Seth Grove Stadium.

Notes: SU snapped a four-game losing streak to Edinboro that dated back to 2004…the Red Raiders intercepted Trevor Harris twice on Saturday after he had thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and 11 TDs with 0 INTs in three previous meetings…Mike Harris caught four passes to move past Al Bowman '70 into third place on the school's all-time receptions list (144)…redshirt freshman Mike Lloyd made his first career start in just his second career appearance for SU and thrived with a game-high 13 tackles, including six solo stops…SU has now scored 20 or more points in two consecutive games to start a season for the first time since 2004...Simmons' previous career-high for tackles was nine last season at ESU...both teams walked to midfield to shake hands prior to the game as a part of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)/NCAA Respect Weekend initiative.