SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – The Shippensburg University football team held a 30-26 lead with 3:03 remaining Saturday but host Shepherd drove the length of the field and scored in the final minute to defeat the Red Raiders, 32-30, in a riveting Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division showdown from Ram Stadium.
 
Shippensburg (1-5, 1-2 PSAC East) and Shepherd (4-2, 2-1) combined for eight lead changes in a game that went back and forth for 60 minutes. Redshirt-sophomore Josh Russo was credited with a block on the first extra-point attempt by the Rams in the first quarter, making the score 6-0 and thus resulting in the lead flip-flopping after every touchdown the teams exchanged.
 
The Red Raiders used an explosive passing game to their advantage, as redshirt-sophomore quarterback Brycen Mussina threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns – including a 76-yard strike to redshirt-junior Winston Eubanks with 8:28 remaining to give them a 27-26 lead. The long touchdown came one play from scrimmage after the third touchdown run of the day by Ram tailback Deonte Glover.
 
Shepherd forced a stop inside its own 10-yard line late in the fourth quarter, which resulted in sophomore David Shank kicking a 22-yard field goal to set up the final three minutes.
 
The Rams marched 80 yards on the ensuing drive, capping off the 10-play drive with a quarterback sneak for a score. Tyson Bagent, who returned this week from injury, leapt in the air and reached the football over the goal line for the game-winning touchdown with 42 seconds left. The Red Raiders got as far as their own 32-yard line on the final drive before a turnover on downs ended it.
 
Mussina completed 27-of-36 passes without throwing an interception. His 405 passing yards are the second-most in his career, short of only his 510-yard performance against Kutztown last season.
 
The most frequent target Saturday was redshirt-sophomore tight end David Balint III, who led the team with a career-high 10 catches. Balint's 100 receiving yards also set a career high.
 
Redshirt-junior Charles Headen III also had a career day, catching six passes for a career-high 85 yards and two scores – his second career two-touchdown game. Headen caught SU's first score of the day – a 37-yard connection with Mussina – and also had a five-yard score that made it 21-20 with 6:03 left in the third quarter.
 
Eubanks finished with four catches for 153 yards. It is the 13th time in his career that he has recorded more than 100 receiving yards in a game.
 
Graduate back Luke Durkin led the Red Raider offense on the ground, rushing for 72 yards and a 1-yard touchdown on 22 carries. Shepherd's Glover rushed for 142 yards on 18 carries, including an 81-yard touchdown in the third quarter on a toss play that preceded Headen's second score.
 
Defensively, redshirt-senior Tig Spinelli and redshirt-senior Eric Dzieniszewski each recorded interceptions. Redshirt-sophomore Trey Paul and redshirt-junior Terez Franklin each tied a career high with nine tackles. Redshirt-junior Tim Bradley led Shippensburg with 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs).
 
Shippensburg has posted a +7 turnover margin over the last two games (seven forced, zero committed) after a -10 margin (one forced, 11 committed) in the season's first four games. Mussina has not thrown an interception in his last 101 pass attempts – a career-best streak – with SU's only turnover in the last three games being a Durkin fumble after a long run against Bloomsburg.
 
Saturday's game marked the first time that Shippensburg and Shepherd have played since 2013, and the first time that both teams faced off as PSAC Eastern Division foes.
 
Shippensburg returns home Saturday for a 1 p.m. Homecoming matchup against Millersville from Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium.

The Red Raiders fell in a heartbreaker Saturday afternoon, but @ShipFootball put up some big plays in a rivalry game against Shepherd University! Check out some highlights from the game after the rain subsided at Shepherd. pic.twitter.com/Ebhy3iIoPb

— SHIP Sports Info (@ShipURaiders) October 12, 2019