Shippensburg Takes Out LHU Football, 65-32
SHIPPENSBURG – Dante Graham (Glen Mills, Pa./Unionville) and Kyle Knight (Myerstown, Pa./Eastern Lebanon) each rushed for a pair of touchdowns and Knight also threw for a TD, as the duo sparked the Bald Eagles offense with five total touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as the Lock Haven University football team (1-8, 0-6 PSAC East) fell to host Shippensburg University (3-6, 3-3 PSAC East), 65-32, in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Saturday action.
Graham, the Bald Eagles No. 2 running back on the depth chart, got the start and made the most of the opportunity. He finished with a monster outing, as he ran to 205 yards on 33 carries.
For Graham, the 205 yards on the ground marked the 10th most ever in a single game. It marked LHU’s first 200-plus yard rushing game since November 5, 2016 when John Ford ran for 206 yards in a win at East Stroudsburg.
The 205 rushing yards are the fourth-highest individual output this season by any player in the PSAC.
The first half ended in wild fashion, much to the benefit of host-Shippensburg. Despite an early hole, Lock Haven cut the lead to three points, as the Bald Eagles trailed 23-20 with 6:13 left after a Bryan Greene (Milesburg, Pa./Bald Eagle) TD-catch.
Shippensburg responded in a hurry and scored 21 points in the final few minutes of first half. The Red Raiders led 44-20 at halftime.
Knight threw for 159 yards and tight end Jalen Jackson (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) made five catches for 59 yards.
On defense, Kahari Whitfield (Reading, Pa./Reading) and Alex Welch (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville) led the way with 13 and nine tackles, respectively. Chris Bournes (Union, N.J./Union) had two sacks.
Through nine games this season, the Bald Eagles remain the top rushing team in the PSAC with 189.6 yards per game.
The Bald Eagles will now return home to cap the 2019 regular season with back-to-back games at Hubert Jack Stadium.
Next Week, in Week 10 (Saturday, Nov. 9) action, LHU will host nationally-ranked West Chester at 1 p.m., before playing host to Gannon on Saturday, November 16 (1 p.m., Week 11). West Chester was ranked No. 22 in this week’s American Football Coaches’ Association (AFCA) DII national poll, released last Monday.
