HUNTINGDON, Pa.-The Juniata football team fell, 35-14, to visiting undefeated Ursinus Saturday afternoon at Knox Stadium.
The Bears opened the game from their own 19-yard line, and went 81 yards in six plays including a 40-yard completion to go ahead 7-0. Their running back ran it in from 10 yards out, and he was not done as he finished the contest with 170 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Several Ursinus penalties helped JC get down the field into the red zone, but the Bears managed to force a fumble and recover it to deny the Eagles any points. Ursinus took the ball 77 yards and their running back ran it in again as they led 14-0 with three and half minutes left in the quarter.
Tim Graham (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) was perfect on the next drive as he hit Shaheed Ross (Philadelphia, Pa./Delaware Valley Charter HS) for a six-yard gain, Ian Border ran for seven yards and Graham found Daulton Snyder (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) for 13 which move the ball to the UC 32. Graham used a play-action fake before he found Ross alone running on the left side of the end zone for six as Juniata pulled within seven.
Joshua Singleton (Philadelphia, Pa./Olney HS West) ended the next Bear drive on their second play from scrimmage as he snagged a deep pass by Ursinus out the air. The teams traded fruitless drives before the Eagle defense forced another stop early in the second quarter.
Juniata's first drive of the second ended on another fumble and the Bears managed to capitalize again as their running back tallied his third TD which put the Bears up 21-7. The next JC drive was stopped by a fumble, but the Juniata defense managed to get the ball back as a Nick Kohler (Green Brook, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional) made a leaping interception, the first of his career.
Graham hit Snyder for eight yards and Lane Chalmers (Parker, Pa./Allegheny- Clarion Valley HS) for 21 to help move Juniata to the UC 18 along with a holding penalty on Ursinus. With less than a minute on the clock the Eagles went for it on 4th and 6, but could not convert. The Eagles went into the locker room down 21-7.
Juniata opened the second half with a punt, but the Eagle defense again got the ball back. This time, Zeb Fowler (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area HS) made his first career pick as the Eagles started on their own 34. The Eagles managed to take the ball down to the UC37 behind some rugged running by Ian Border (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area H.S.) and an 11-yard reception by Sean Owens (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley HS). The Bears managed to stop them, and the proceeding Eagle punt bounced into the end zone.
Ursinus took the ball and drove down into the red zone at the JC11. The Eagles managed to stop them on third down, but Ursinus decided to go for it on fourth down. Josh Parson (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata H.S.) knifed into the backfield and sacked the quarterback to end the threat.
Juniata went three and out and punted, but Ursinus could not handle the ball as Kaleb Weyant (East Freedom, Pa./Central) the punt at the Bear 42.
The ensuing Juniata drive bled into the fourth quarter but ultimately ended with an incomplete pass at the UC 25. The Bears tacked on two more scores sandwiched around an Eagle three and out as JC was behind, 35-7 with 7:11 to play.
Starting at their own 14, the Eagles put together a nice drive that culminated in Graham throwing a 37-yard strike to Owens in the end zone to complete the scoring.
Juniata will travel to play at Muhlenberg (2-0), next Saturday at 1:00.