SALISBURY, Md. - The No.  17 Salisbury University football team fell to No. 14 Wesley College, 36-21, Saturday afternoon before a Family Weekend crowd of 2,639 at Sea Gull Stadium on Senior Day. The Wolverines held off the surging Sea Gull in the fourth quarter to win the Atlantic Central Football Conference championship.

Salisbury (7-2, 1-1 ACFC) trailed Wesley (6-1, 3-0 ACFC) by one score with 10 minutes left in the game before the Wolverines answered with a 7-play, 58-yard drive to increase the lead to 15 points.

In the end, the 429 yards of total offense allowed by the Sea Gulls proved to be too much for the offense to overcome. Salisbury passed for a season-high 149 yards and had 340 yards of total offense in the loss. The Sea Gulls, the nation's leading rushing team, was held to a season low 191 yards in the game.

SU was led by senior quarterback Ronnie Curley (4-for-14, 137 yards, one touchdown) who ran for a team-high 107 yards on 16 carries and one rushing touchdown. Senior wide receiver Kevin Tillage (three receptions, 82 yards) and senior superback Shelby Fisher (16 carries, 56 yards, one touchdown) had solid games in their final regular-season home game as a Sea Gull.

Wesley scored the game's first two touchdowns and led 6-0 after the first quarter and 13-0 early on in the second. SU answered when Curley found the end zone from 13 yards out at the 11:13 mark in the second quarter. Midway through the second quarter, SU was forced to punt but a high snap sailed over the head of junior punter Andrew Geisert and through the back of the end zone to give Wesley the safety. The Wolverines regained possession and scored, four minutes later, on a 7-yard touchdown run by junior Aaron Jackson (13 carries, 44 yards). Wesley led 22-7 at the half. The seven points scored by the Sea Gulls in the first half are most points allowed by Wesley this season.

In the second half, Salisbury came out of the break and scored the game's only points in the third quarter when Fisher rumbled in from two yards out. SU trailed 22-14 as it entered the fourth quarter.

Wesley tailback Mike Pennewell (12 carries, 85 yards) and quarterback Shane McSweeny (14-for-25, 203 yards, two touchdowns) combined for 162 rushing yards and two scores on the ground to lead the Wolverines. Senior tight end Jon Lanouette (six receptions, 106 yards, two touchdowns) scored his second touchdown on a 20-yard pass from McSweeny, two minutes into the fourth quarter, to give Wesley a 29-14 advantage.

The Sea Gulls struck back when Curley hit freshman Randal Smedley on a 56-yard pass for the touchdown at the 10:39 mark to cut the lead back to eight, 29-21.

SU senior All-American defense end Jarrell Chandler had seven total tackles, one sack, 3.5 tackles for a loss of 11 yards and a fumble recovery. Senior linebacker Matt Barnes led the Gulls with nine total tackles while free safety junior Darryl Jones (eight tackles) recorded seven solo tackles in the game. For Wesley, senior linebacker Sean Matthews made 16 tackles.

The Sea Gull special teams unit was able to contain Wesley return specialist Larry Beavers to no kickoff returns and one punt return for a loss of three yards. The Wolverines controlled the time of possession, over 31 minutes, and edged the Sea Gulls in first downs (21-18).

This is the first time the Sea Gulls have lost at home in two seasons as SU last dropped a home contest on October 28, 2006 against Wesley, 13-10. This was the 19th meeting of the Route 13 rivals as Wesley holds a 12-7 series advantage and has won the last four meetings.

This afternoon's contest marked the final regular-season home game for the 2008 Gulls and for 17 seniors on the Salisbury roster. The senior class has compiled a 30-12 record in four seasons for the Sea Gulls and has won two ECAC bowl games, made one NCAA tournament appearance and shared the 2005 ACFC championship.

Salisbury is off next week as the Sea Gulls prepare for the annual showdown with in-state and ACFC rival Frostburg State University in the 10th Regents Cup game. The game returns to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and will kick-off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 15. Salisbury has won the last four meetings and holds the series lead, 19-16. For more information about the game click here.