BEAVER FALLS, Pa. - For the first time this
season the No. 13 Salisbury University football team went into
halftime tied. The Sea Gulls made a game changing play on defense
which led to back-to-back third quarter touchdown drives as the
maroon and gold marched past Geneva College 20-7 on Saturday night
before 3,045 at Reeves Field.
The Sea Gulls (6-0), who have been accustomed to holding the
advantage at the intermission in 2007, had to rely on their defense
to make a play in the third quarter and change the momentum.
Geneva College (4-2) started off the second half with the ball
and drove 59 yards on 14 plays, which took over six minutes, into
the Salisbury red zone. Freshman quarterback David Girardi dropped
back and had his pass intercepted by junior defensive end
Jarrell Chandler, who returned the ball six yards.
The Sea Gull offense went to work from there. Junior quarterback
Ronnie Curley ran the first play nine yards.
Fellow junior Ronnie Shockley followed with a
12-yard gain which gave SU the first down at the 47-yard line.
Curley took the next snap and scampered 53 yards into the end zone
to give the Gulls the lead for good, 14-7, at the 7:37 mark in the
third quarter.
Salisbury's defense forced a three-and-out from the Golden
Tornadoes to set-up a punt attempt on the Geneva 25-yard line.
Punter Andy Stopchick had his kick blocked by sophomore
Josh Leonardis. The ball rolled back to the 4-yard
line where junior Ravi Nostvogal recovered the
ball to give SU its best field position for the night.
Two straight Curley runs of two yards gave the Sea Gulls another
touchdown. The Brendan Kincaid point after attempt
failed. Salisbury led 20-7 with five minutes left in the third.
Curley ran the ball 29 times and gained 141 yards on the ground
and two third quarter touchdowns. Curley was 3-for-5 on pass
attempts for 25 yards. Shockley finished with 55 yards on 12
carries while senior Jamar Garner was limited to
two carries for 13 yards, a season low, to end his streak of
consecutive 100-yard games at two.
The Sea Gulls have now won nine straight games dating back to
last season. Salisbury is the only undefeated collegiate football
team in the state of Maryland in any division.
Geneva had a chance to cut into the Salisbury lead early in the
fourth quarter. The Golden Tornadoes marched down into the Sea Gull
red zone area and faced 4th and goal at the Salisbury 5-yard line.
Senior quarterback Bobby Bondi (23-for-33, 186 yards) completed a
pass to Scott Koenig but was tackled at the 1-yard line by junior
Matthew Bookard (team-high 10 tackles).
The Golden Tornadoes were only 1-for-4 in the Salisbury red
zone. Geneva had a 28-yard field goal attempt blocked in the second
quarter.
Salisbury controlled the time of possession in the fourth
quarter (13:13) but trailed overall in the game 32:20 to 27:40.
SU got on the board first on its second possession when the 10
play, 57-yard drive began near midfield. Sophomore Valdase
Morris ran the ball three times on the drive, which
included the final two plays, as Morris scored the touchdown from
12 yards out with five minutes left in the first quarter.
Geneva tied the game in the second quarter when freshman Matt
Curry ran in from eight yards out at the 9:04 mark.
Salisbury finished the game with 300 yards of total offense. SU
gained 267 on the ground and were 4-for-8 through the air for 33
yards. Geneva ended the game with 232 yards of total offense (46
yards on the ground, 186 passing). The Golden Tornado defense had
two sacks and two fumble recoveries.
SU senior Joe Galloway had the only Sea Gull
sack (for a loss of 10 yards). The Sea Gull defense made 13 tackles
for a loss which resulted in 35 yards.
Salisbury will have to travel next weekend to face SUNY
Morrisville on Saturday, October 13 at 1 p.m. in a non-conference
game.
