Box Score

IN THE PRESS:

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — The No. 15-ranked Shippensburg University football team scored 45 points in the second half on Saturday afternoon to erase a one-point halftime deficit and post a convincing victory over No. 10 Bloomsburg, 58-20, in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Division II playoffs from SU Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium.

Shippensburg (11-1) won its first NCAA playoff game since 1991 — a season in which current head coach Mark 'Mac' Maciejewski '92/'96M was a noseguard for the Red Raiders — and will next travel to Super Region One No. 1 seed and AFCA No. 2-ranked Winston Salem State (11-0) next Saturday at noon for a second-round matchup with the Rams from Bowman Gray Stadium.

Junior quarterback and PSAC Eastern Division Offensive Player of the Year Zach Zulli completed 26-of-35 passes for 469 yards and three touchdowns in addition to running for a 1-yard score. His performance helped him set two NCAA Division II single-season records – points responsible for in a season (336) and touchdowns responsible for in a season (56) – while also breaking the PSAC single-season record for pass completions (317). The two NCAA records were previously set by Valdosta State's Dusty Bonner in 2000 (330 and 55, respectively) while the PSAC record had been held by Edinboro's Trevor Harris (292 in 2007).

SU's defense limited the Huskies to just 23 passing yards until the game's final drive — stymying BU freshman signal caller Tim Kelly to a 3-of-14 effort that included three interceptions.

Despite another sensational effort from junior All-American running back Franklyn Quiteh (24 carries, 199 yards, 2 TDs), Bloomsburg finishes the season 10-2 — with both losses coming at the hands of Shippensburg (SU beat BU 49-42 three weeks ago to clinch the Eastern Division title).

Senior wide receiver Jacob Baskerville caught seven balls for a career-high 153 yards and two touchdowns, setting the school single-season record for receptions in a season (76, breaking Jamie Ware's mark of 74 in 1999) and for 100-yard receiving games in a season (his seventh of 2012). Baskerville also has 1,291 receiving yards this season, putting him just 43 yards shy of tying Jamie Ware's single-season record (1,334) set in 1999.

Senior wide receiver Bryan Barley had three catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns – a 48-yarder from Zulli in the beginning of the third quarter that put SU up for good and another 28-yarder from senior fullback Kevin Herod on a trick play in the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Herod was sensational on Saturday, as he contributed a single-game career high of 128 all-purpose yards in addition to his outstanding blocking out of the backfield. He provided a season-high 63 rushing yards on just seven carries in addition to new career highs of seven receptions and 64 receiving yards.

Sophomore wide receiver Trevor Harman caught six balls for 117 yards while senior tailback Mike Frenette led Shippensburg with 71 yards rushing on 13 carries and ran in a 16-yard touchdown.

Shippensburg's offense put up 673 yards of total offense, including 507 yards through the air. In two games this season against the Huskies, SU totaled 1,271 yards of total offense and scored 107 points.

The Red Raider defense, meanwhile, forced five BU turnovers – two fumble recoveries and three interceptions – and recorded 10 turnovers total in its two victories over Bloomsburg this season.

Shippensburg did not score its first touchdown of the game until the 5:53 mark of the second quarter. However, SU scored points on its final eight drives of the game — including all seven it had in the second half — for a 48-point swing that changed the score from 14-13 in Bloomsburg's favor to 58-13 in SU's favor with 5:40 to play.

Both coaches hinted after the game that the turning point of the contest occurred midway through the third quarter. With SU leading 23-14, the Huskies had driven into the red zone and were looking to make it a one-score game. One play after a personal foul on a third down prolonged the BU drive and put the ball on the SU 11-yard line, junior safety Mike Goode wrapped up Quiteh on a run, ripped the ball out of his hands and recovered the fumble to put the Red Raiders in business.

Goode finished the game with eight tackles, second-most among Red Raiders. Sophomore linebacker Brian Sourber led the Red Raiders with nine tackles, forced a fumble (that was recovered by Bloomsburg) and recovered a loose ball off a punt late in the second quarter that hit a BU lineman on the ground and led to a field goal by sophomore Drew Newcomer.

Seven plays after Goode's fumble recovery, Zulli was ruled to have broken the plane of the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown scamper that put the Red Raiders up 30-14. Kelly was intercepted on the ensuing drive by junior safety Tyriq Kershaw, and one play following the turnover, Zulli threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Baskerville that kicked off a stretch of three Red Raider touchdowns in 3:29. Dating back to Zulli's TD sneak, SU scored four touchdowns in a 5:40 span.

Notes

• To date in 2012, Shippensburg has scored more points (595) and touchdowns (81) than any other team in all divisions of college football. Division III Mount Union has recorded 589 points and 80 touchdowns; FBS Louisiana Tech has 575 points and 78 touchdowns, and FCS Sam Houston State boasts 490 points and 65 touchdowns this season.

• Shippensburg went 7-0 at SU Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium in 2012 – the most home victories ever achieved by a Red Raider team in a single season. It is the 22nd undefeated season at home in school history and first since 1999. SU has won nine consecutive home games and is 11-1 playing at the friendly confines under head coach Mark 'Mac' Maciejewski.

• Shippensburg's 58 points are the ninth-most in an opening round game of the Division II Football Championships according to Tex Noel of the Intercollegiate Football Researchers Association (IFRA).

• Frenette now has 5,029 all-purpose yards in his career (2,371 rushing, 1,798 receiving, 860 return). John Kuhn's school record is 5,300. Frenette's rushing touchdown Saturday tied his single-season career high of nine set last season.

• Zulli was 13-of-15 for 279 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. He completed his final nine passes of the game.

• Newcomer had not attempted a field goal all season but went a solid 3-for-4 on Saturday and converted all seven of his extra-point attempts. His second-quarter field goal attempt that got blocked was the first miss of his career – as he is now 19-of-20 over the course of three seasons with the Red Raiders.

• Saturday's game was the first since Nov. 10, 2007 that the Red Raiders kicked three field goals in a game. Jamie Reder made field goals of 30, 36 and 39 yards that day in a 30-9 loss at California (Pa.).

• Opposing starting quarterbacks Blaze Wasserleben (Cheyney) and Tim Kelly (Bloomsburg) have combined to complete just three passes over the course of the last two games played at Seth Grove Stadium.

• Herod's career passing efficiency rating is now a silly 502.0. He is 3-of-3 for 65 yards and two touchdowns. His 28 passing yards on one play were five more than BU starting quarterback Tim Kelly had for the entire game.

• In two games against Bloomsburg this season, the Red Raider defense has forced 10 turnovers, while Zulli was 61-of-95 for 975 yards and 10 touchdowns and SU scored 107 points.

• Saturday marked the third time this season that three Red Raiders have completed a pass in the same game (Zulli/Lawshe/Herod vs. LIU Post, Zulli/Lawshe/Tomasetti vs. Cheyney, Zulli/Lawshe/Herod vs. Bloomsburg).