SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. -- The Shippensburg University football team was felled by a 24-0 third-quarter swing in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup against the West Chester Golden Rams Saturday at Seth Grove Stadium, 38-28.
 
Shippensburg (1-5, 1-2 PSAC East) put up a season-high 479 yards of offense, out-gaining the Golden Rams 91-to-(-8) after the first quarter and maintaining a 14-7 edge at halftime. The SU offense was powered by a banner day on the ground for a pair of Raider backs. Redshirt-sophomore Tanner Hess put up his second 100-yard rushing performance, totaling a career-high 133 yards on 22 attempts, while graduate Onasis Neely added a career-best 84 yards on eight totes. Shippensburg outrushed the opposition 211-to-95 in the game.
 
West Chester (4-2, 2-1) made the Raider lead a thing of the past with two quick-strike scores to start the second half, but the biggest swing came later on in the third. Shippensburg drove down to the West Chester one-yard line with the intention of making it a three-point game, but a goal line strip from WCU's Maurice Beverly was returned by Beverly 99 yards to the house to make it a 31-14 margin.
 
Freshman quarterback Sam Stoner picked up right where he left off following a strong effort in his first career start last week at Shepherd. A confident Stoner took and completed several shots downfield, connecting with redshirt-freshman Jaimen Bryant on a 54-yard deep ball to open the scoring midway through the first, and back-to-back 20-plus yard gains from Hess to start the second quarter set up a 6-yard touchdown catch from junior Redd Douglas to stake the hosts to a 14-0 edge.
 
West Chester was able to answer with a touchdown pass later in the second quarter, but an interception by Shippensburg redshirt-sophomore Terrance Peterson Jr. on the final play of the second quarter ensured a Raider lead at the half.
 
The Golden Rams evened the score just 31 seconds into the second half courtesy of a 58-yard TD connection between QB Cooper Jordan and D'Shaun Seals. With the wind at their back, the visitors needed just five plays to cover 53 yards to record the go-ahead score a few minutes later.
 
After a West Chester field goal made it a ten-point margin, 24-14, Neely broke a 57-yard run to put the Raiders back in scoring position, but the result of the drive was a back-breaking 99-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
 
Shippensburg tried to make a game with the help of the wind at their back in the fourth. The frame started with a 51-yard pass play to redshirt-sophomore Alex Rufe for a touchdown, and ended on a Hess goal line plunge shortly before time expired to bring about the 38-28 final score.
 
Stoner finished the contest 14-of-32 on pass attempts for 268 yards. He threw a career-high three touchdown passes and a pair of fourth quarter interceptions.
 
Douglas led the Raider receiving corps. with five catches for 80 yards and a score. Bryant recorded three receptions for 82 receiving yards.
 
Defensively, the Raiders got to the quarterback duo of Jordan and Ethan Koehler a total of five times Saturday. Senior Jacoby Sherard posted 2.5 sacks, a career-best nine tackles and a fumble recovery. Redshirt-freshman Ibrahim Diawara also added a pair of sacks.
 
Junior Javon M. Cruz was credited with a forced fumble.
 
The Raiders return to action next week with a road matchup against PSAC East front-runners Kutztown Saturday at noon.