SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University football team scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives in the first quarter Saturday and received by a spirited defensive performance to neutralize visiting Bloomsburg, 20-6, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division rivalry game from SU Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium.
 
Shippensburg (9-1, 6-1 PSAC East) finished its divisional schedule with its best mark in East play since 2013, snapping a three-game losing streak to Bloomsburg (6-4, 4-3) in the process. It is the fifth time in 10 games this season that the SU defense has held its opponent without a touchdown. The performance resulted in the first time that Bloomsburg has been held without a touchdown in 125 straight games.
 
Saturday's contest could well be classified as a defensive struggle, with the two teams combining for eight turnovers (four by each squad), 10 three-and-outs, and no scoring in the second half. Bloomsburg was limited to a 1-of-17 rate on third down and an average of just 3.3 yards per play. The Huskies, however, intercepted the Red Raiders three times and had a sack-fumble; SU had thrown just two interceptions through the first nine games.
 
On SU's fourth offensive play, senior quarterback Ryan Zapoticky sprinted up the far sideline and broke free for a 54-yard touchdown run that made it 7-3. Three plays into SU's next series, Zapoticky connected with redshirt-freshman Winston Eubanks for an 83-yard touchdown that made it 13-3.
 
Just two more offensive plays later, Zapoticky scrambled and found Eubanks for a 64-yard score that gave the Red Raiders a 20-3 advantage less than 10 minutes into the game. Eubanks finished with three catches for a career-high 174 yards and two touchdowns, while Zapoticky totaled 236 passing yards on 13 completions.
 
Shippensburg totaled 222 yards on those three scoring drives, while Bloomsburg totaled 224 yards for the entire game. SU had an impressive 244 offensive yards in the first quarter, but managed just 149 yards the rest of the way. Through 10 games, the Red Raiders have out-scored opponents 142-19 in the first quarter.
 
On the ground, senior Colin McDermott ran 13 times for 65 yards. Senior Cole Chiappialle had 16 carries for 60 yards. Bloomsburg got a 44-yard rush from Alex Gooden and a 16-yard rush from Qmac Quiteh, but otherwise totaled just 43 rushing yards on 29 carries.
 
BU quarterback Chris Palubinsky completed 11-of-36 passes for 121 yards while being intercepted three times – senior Chavez Cheatham, junior J.T. Hopple and junior Richard Sheler came up with the picks for the Red Raiders.
 
Sophomore safety Dennis Robinson and junior linebacker Steven Cain were SU's leading tacklers on the day, both finishing with career highs. Robinson had 13 tackles (four solo), one pass breakup and a fumble recovery on a muffed punt after pressure was applied to the BU returner by freshman long snapper Dylan Curtis . Cain had nine tackles (four solo).
 
Junior Richard Nase had two sacks – including one on a fourth-down play that ended a Husky drive. Nase became the third Red Raider with five or more sacks on the season, joining juniors Dakota Thompson and John Durkin.
 
Performance in the red zone figured to be a key in Saturday's game, with SU boasting the No. 1 red-zone defense in the country and Bloomsburg laying claim to the No. 7 red-zone offense in the country. The Huskies started their opening possession on SU's 7-yard line but only managed a field goal, as Cain had a hand in all three tackles on the drive. BU also started a second-half drive on the SU 12-yard line, but the Red Raiders made a fourth-down stop for a turnover on downs.
 
The scoreless second half featured numerous defensive highlights. Bloomsburg was held to 13 total yards on its first four drives of the third quarter – resulting in two punts and two turnovers on downs. Combined, the two teams went 0-for-16 on third down in the second half. In the third quarter, the two teams combined for just 90 yards.
 
Shippensburg hosts Seton Hill at 1 p.m. Saturday from SU Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium. Before the game, SU will honor 12 seniors: Christian Brown, Mike Cassidy, Cheatham, Chiappialle, Billy Deane, Andrew Englebert, Oscar Ghasab, McDermott, Austin Rosenberry, Kevin Taylor II, Darius Wills, and Zapoticky.
 
Notes: Through 10 games, Shippensburg leads the PSAC in scoring defense (11.6), total defense (252.2), rushing defense (78.9), passing defense (173.3) and opponent first downs (13.1)…Eubanks leads the PSAC in average yards per reception (26.8) and ranks second in both receiving yards (1,127) and receiving touchdowns (12)…the 83-yard connection between Eubanks and Zapoticky was the third-longest pass play in the PSAC this season…Eubanks becomes the sixth Red Raider in history with 1,000 or more receiving yards in a single season…it is the ninth 1,000-yard season by a receiver in school history (Trevor Harman, Jamie Ware and Mike Harris each did it twice)…Eubanks's 1,127 receiving yards ranks sixth in SU single-season history; he is 294 yards shy of Trevor Harman's single-season school record (1,421 in 2013)…Zapoticky now ranks second in school history for career passing yards (6,684) and career total offense (7,849 yards)…Deane has totaled 239 points, ranking fourth all-time in scoring at SU and 10 points shy of Jamie Reder (249) for the most points by a Red Raider kicker…Nase becomes the 11th Red Raider in school history to reach 40 career tackles for loss…Nase's 23 career sacks are tied for third in school history with John Wertz '79, he trails only Ed Brown '82 (24) and Jake Metz (30.5)...Shippensburg, with a win next week, could achieve its fifth 10-win season in school history: 1981 (12-1), 1991 (10-3), 2004 (10-2), 2012 (11-2)…it is the sixth time in school history that SU has had nine or more wins, the Red Raiders went 9-3 in 2009 (9-3).