After their lowest output of the season last week, Shippensburg University Football rebounded quickly to move another step in the right direction in the Division 2 National playoffs. Raider nation is abuzz after a huge win over PSAC East rival, Bloomsburg. After keeping things close in the first half, the Raiders used their prolific offense to turn up the heat and never look back.
The Huskies kept it close though throughout the first half, and kept Zach Zulli and the Shippensburg offense guessing. Bloomsburg, who came into Saturday’s game with vengeance on their minds, forced the Raider offense into a couple short drives, and only allowed one lone touchdown in the first half to one of Division 2s best offenses. When Shippensburg seemed to gain momentum, the Bloomsburg defense clamped down, and forced the Raiders into only field goal chances. The first half proved to be a battle of attritions. The Bloomsburg offense and the best runner in the PSAC, Franklin Quiteh, couldn’t quite get things running on their end either. This defensive struggle hold was nothing like their last meeting back in October, where the teams scored furiously in a 49-42 Shippensburg win.
The second half produced more of what most would have expected. Whatever was missing in the first half, Shippensburg Head Coach Mark Maciejewski made sure wasn’t missing in the 2nd. The Raiders high powered offense came out and wouldn’t leave the rest of the game. Zach Zulli Connected on a 46 yard strike to Bryan Barley early in the 3rd, and the leak in the dam seemed to spring from there. On top of the expected offensive output, the Shippensburg defense clamped down and didn’t allow a single point in the 3rd quarter.
By the time the final quarter rolled around, the first half had to have seemed like years ago to the Huskies. The sputtering Husky offense from the first half seemed worse in the 2nd half. The Huskies went into the 4th quarter not scoring since reemerging from their locker room from their mid game break, and faced 37-14 deficit. The 4th quarter didn’t seem to help the Huskies find any relief. If the 3rd quarter was bad, the 4th had to have been a carbon copy of the 3rd.
More Shippensburg offense equals ungodly numbers. The Husky offense could not keep up with the efficiency that the Raiders executed with. Down by 23 points going into the 4th, Quiteh and the Huskies just couldn’t get it going, and Husky Quarterback Tim Kelly tried to make plays happen but some of those desperate passes turned into interceptions. Whatever was missing in the first half, was all very real and present in the second half for the Shippensburg Raiders. When the damage was done, the Raiders walked out victorious 58-20.
The Raiders now have to prepare for the test to get a little tougher. They will take on the undefeated Winston-Salem Rams, who are number two in the Raider’s bracket. The Raiders know that if they want to move a step closer to winning a National Championship, they have to play all 4 quarters, and execute like their number 1 ranking displays. The two teams play November 24th in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
