Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Freshman running back Gary Sheffield rushed for a career-high 206 yards – the fifth-best rushing day in Ursinus history – and Frank Vecchio came off the bench to throw four touchdowns as the Bears overcame an early 27-0 deficit to defeat Gettysburg 38-36 in Centennial Conference (CC) football action on Saturday.

Sheffield, who entered the game with 47 rushing yards in his brief collegiate career, carried 28 times en route to the career-best total and also scored the second touchdown in Ursinus' comeback, keeping the Bears (5-1, 4-1 CC) alive in the CC championship hunt.

Vecchio finished the day completing 13 of 27 passes for 203 yards, but also threw two of five interceptions hawked by the Gettysburg defense on the afternoon.  Rashard Williams hauled in a pair of touchdowns for Ursinus while the Bear defense sacked Bullet quarterback Dennis Flaherty (Oreland, PA/Bishop McDevitt) six times, recovered four fumbles and blocked a punt deep in Gettysburg territory to set up an Ursinus score.

For Gettysburg, Flaherty connected on 16 of 20 passes for 203 yards and a pair of touchdown passes to Alex Nicholas (Far Hills, NJ/Bernards).  Bryan Pojanowski (Rockaway Twp., NJ/Morris Knolls) put together another fine all-around day for the Bullets (0-6, 0-4 CC), carrying 19 times for a career-best 95 yards and also catching five passes for 76 yards.  He scored his team-leading seventh and eighth touchdowns of the season.

Trailing 27-0 following a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown by Ryan Moore (Glenolden, PA/Interboro), Ursinus righted the ship with three quick touchdowns in the final 8:38 of the first half.

Vecchio found Williams on an eight-yard scoring toss to cap a six-play, 81-yard scoring drive and hit Josh Barr on the two-point conversion to get the Bears on the board at 27-8.

With 4:06 left in the half, Ursinus recovered a fumble at its own 32 and marched 68 yards on six plays capped by Sheffield's first collegiate touchdown, a two-yard run with 2:41 left before halftime to make it 27-14.

On Gettysburg's next possession, Bear defensive back Harry Michel blocked a Tom DeBacco (Blairstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII) punt to set up Ursinus with a first-and-goal from the Gettysburg 6.  On the next play, Vecchio hooked up with Williams for a six-yard TD toss that pulled the Bears within 27-21 a mere 24 seconds before the break.

Gettysburg extended the lead to 30-21 on its first possession of the second half.  The Bullets drove 67 yards in 1 minute, 52 seconds before Dan Evanko (Trenton, NJ/Ewing) connected on his second field goal of the season, a 19-yarder at the 12:59 mark of the third quarter.  Pete Vincelli (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) keyed the drive with a spectacular 61-yard catch-and-run to the Ursinus 8, one of his three receptions on the day.

Tom Carluccio answered Evanko's field goal with a 32-yarder of his own to pull the Bears within 30-24 with 5:15 left in the third quarter.

Following a DeBacco punt and an exchange of turnovers on consecutive plays, Ursinus marched 48 yards on seven plays to take a 31-30 lead.  On the first play of the fourth quarter, Vecchio found Steve Sell with an 11-yard pass for the Bear tight end's first touchdown of the season, giving the visitors a lead they would not relinquish.

Ursinus stretched the lead to 38-30 when Vecchio found David Causa on a four-yard TD pass with 8:27 left in the game.

Gettysburg failed to pull even on its next two possessions, but Moore's second interception of the game off a pass from Ursinus starter Chris Rahill put the Bullets on the Bear 11 with 3:02 left.  Four plays later, Flaherty found Nicholas in the end zone on fourth-and-7 from the 8 to pull Gettysburg within 38-36 at the 2:00 mark.

The Bullets went for the tie on the ensuing two-point conversion, but Flaherty was forced out of the pocket and intercepted by Thomas Reilly.  Ursinus then covered Evanko's onsides kick attempt at the Gettysburg 45 to ice the win.

In front of an energized Parents' Weekend crowd of 2,711, Gettysburg jumped out to a 27-0 lead thanks to Flaherty, Pojanowski and a pair of key interceptions.

On Ursinus' first possession of the game, Keith Adams (Hanover, PA/New Oxford) picked off a Rahill pass and returned the ball to the Bear 11, setting up a 19-yard scoring toss from Flaherty to Nicholas only 2:55 into the game.

Gettysburg made it 13-0 with Nate Overholt (Souderton, PA/Souderton) found Pojanowski wide open down the home sideline on a fake field goal attempt for a 27-yard touchdown.  The pass was Overholt's first collegiate attempt, completion and touchdown.

Gettysburg marched 68 yards on seven plays in 3 minutes and 26 seconds to make it 19-0 at the 12:08 mark of the second quarter.  Pojanowski capped the drive with a 24-yard run, his team-leading eighth touchdown of the season.

The Bullets made it a 27-point cushion only 17 seconds later when Moore picked off Vecchio's first passing attempt of the game and took it 31 yards to the end zone for a 27-0 lead.
 From there, however, Ursinus ripped off 38 of the game's final 47 points to earn the win and keep its NCAA playoff hopes alive.

Cliff Mason (Greenville, PA/Greenville) recorded a team-best 12 tackles for the Bullets while Moore added seven tackles and a pass breakup along with his two interceptions.  Adams was in on 10 tackles while Mark Johnson (Corona, CA/Acad. New Church Boys School [PA]) made his first collegiate interception for Gettysburg.

Paul Graham led the Ursinus defense with 2.5 sacks among his five tackles for loss while also forcing one fumble and recovering another.  Mark Hineman paced the Bears with 11 total tackles.

Gettysburg returns to action on Saturday, October 21 at Muhlenberg College.  Game time is 1 p.m.

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