Box Score

CLARION, Pa. – Sophomore halfback Mike Frenette totaled 224 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns on Saturday night from Memorial Stadium as the Shippensburg University football team used all four quarters of its first road game of the year to defeat Clarion, 28-24.

Shippensburg (1-2) came out on top of a game that featured six total lead changes, including five in the second half. SU did not take its first lead of the game until the 11:29 mark of the third quarter when Frenette scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 24-yard pass from sophomore Steven Adams.

Down one point at the start of the fourth quarter, Frenette reached paydirt for the second time on a 20-yard toss from Adams to put Shippensburg up 21-16. Frenette finished the game with eight carries for 73 yards and five receptions for 108 yards. Adams was 12-of-20 for 223 yards and two touchdowns.

Clarion (0-3) retook the lead with a six-play, 63-yard drive to go ahead 24-21. After the ensuing kickoff sailed over the heads of the two returners, Frenette picked up the ball at the 15-yard line and scampered 43 yards into Clarion territory.

With this momentum, Shippensburg utilized senior halfback Kevin Marshall, who also had an outstanding game out of the backfield. Marshall, SU's leading rusher on Saturday with 86 yards on just 12 carries, broke outside for a 22-yard touchdown run that put the Red Raiders ahead for good with 10:23 to go. Marshall also scored on a 7-yard run at the end of the first quarter.

The Red Raider defense came up with several big plays and stymied the Golden Eagles on the ground. With the exception of two quarterback scrambles that went for a total of 41 yards in the fourth quarter, the SU defense held Clarion to just 44 rushing yards on its other 30 carries. Reigning PSAC Western Division Player of the Year Alfonso Hoggard was held to 28 yards on 19 carries.

Hoggard's former high school teammate, junior Vinnie Ranauto, led the Red Raiders with 11 combined tackles. Junior defensive back Terence Glenn recovered a key fumble in the fourth quarter that was forced by freshman defensive end Jake Metz and also blocked a field goal at the end of the first half. Senior Erik Van Ness was another integral defender with 2.5 tackles for loss and seven combined tackles.

Shippensburg returns home next weekend at 1 p.m. versus C.W. Post. The start of the divisional schedule will coincide with Parents & Family Day from SU Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium.

Notes: Frenette tied his career high in receptions and set a new career-high in receiving yards…freshman quarterback Zach Zulli made his collegiate debut on the punt return unit and returned three for a total of 26 yards…senior linebacker Riley Bowen completed his first career pass on a fake punt to redshirt freshman Tyriq Kershaw…freshman Nate Schmidt converted SU's first field goal of the year, a 21-yarder in the second quarter…Marshall now has 3,313 all-purpose yards and is now eighth on SU's all-time list, 10 yards behind Mike Harris '09.