EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University football team picked up its second consecutive victory with a convincing 48-7 victory over Lock Haven on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Eiler-Martin Stadium during Family Weekend.

The Warriors (2-2, 1-0 PSAC East) even their record and get a win in its PSAC East division opening contest, while the Bald Eagles (1-4, 0-1 PSAC East) fall for the third consecutive week.

ESU was dominant both on offense and defense, outgaining the Bald Eagles by a 506-243 margin. The Warriors built a 48-0 lead through the middle of the fourth quarter, prior to LHU avoiding a shutout with an 81-yard touchdown drive on its final drive of the contest.

Notables

• With quarterback Jake Cirillo missing the contest due to injury, Matt DeLaurentis got the start the Warriors and completed 18-29 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns and just one interception. It was the second consecutive season that DeLaurentis helped ESU to a win against LHU, with the East Norriton, Pa. native guiding the Warriors under center in a 45-21 win at Hubert Jack Stadium in 2021. Sean McTaggart entered the game in the second half, completing 3-5 passes for 39 yards in his Warrior debut.
• The balanced rushing attack that featured four Warriors post at least 46 yards on the ground, was led by Tyriq Lewis, who eclipsed the century mark for the second time in his career. The Downingtown native averaged 10.9 yards per carry on 10 attempts, finishing with 109 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Gunner Anglovich totaled 55 yards on just five rushes, while Devante Robinson added 52 yards on the ground and his first touchdown in 1,043 days at Eiler-Martin Stadium, after missing 2021 due to injury and the canceled 2020 season. True freshman Tahir Mills impressed with 46 yards rushing and his first career touchdown. In total, ESU rushed for three touchdowns and 282 yards on 39 attempts (7.2 avg.).
• Like the tailbacks, the receiving corps were balanced with 11 different Warriors pulling in a reception. Ezequiel Lopez registered a team-high 54 receiving yards and his fourth touchdown of the season. Tight end Beau Heyser found the endzone for the first time in his career and finished with 33 yards. John Siggins led the Warriors with five receptions, totaling 32 yards.
• Defensively, 2021 All-PSAC East First Team safety Tyler Watson led the squad with seven tackles, Paul Carreras and Sergei Felizor each added six. Carerras added 2.0 tackles for loss.
• For the second consecutive week, Devon Banks picked off the opposing quarterback. He was able to find paydirt on the play, with a 33-yd pick six for the first score of the contest.
• Dasean Dixon forced and recovered a fumble, returning the ball for 16 yards off a sack.
• Deshawn McCarthy also forced a fumble via a sack, as Jahmere Crumpton was able to scoop the turnover for ESU.
• Defensive backs Crumpton, Malachi Bowman and Noah Hambrick each deflected a pass.
• The Warriors held advantages in first downs (33-11), rushing yards (282-55), passing yards (224-188), total offense (506-243), possession time (34:14-25:45), 3rd down conversions (5-10, 2-11).
• ESU was forced to punt just once, with DeLaurentis sending a quick kick 10 yards on fourth down.
• Reigning PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week Devin Bartholomew made two-of-three field goals, missing a 38-yarder, before bouncing back to convert attempts from 26 and 42 yards out. He made all six of his point-after-attempts, extending his streak to 43 and ESU's streak to 84.
• ESU's 506 yards of offense are the most this season and the highest total since the 2021 season opener against Pace when the Warriors put up 524 yards of total offense.

• Despite the lopsided score, it took until the second quarter and it was the Warriors' defense that put up the first points of the contest. Banks picked off LHU's Easton Turner and returned his second career interception 33 yards for the opening score.
• The Warrior defense forced a punt, and ESU extended the lead to 14-0 following a 14-yd connection from DeLaurentis and Lopez following an eight-play, 82-yard drive.
• ESU added a 26-yd field goal on its next drive with under a minute to play in the first half. Evan Roche helped setup the score with a 28-yd reception earlier in the drive.
• After halftime, ESU continued to extend its lead, forcing another LHU punt. A 33-yd connection from DeLaurentis to Lopez and a defensive pass interference call would allow Robinson to find the endzone via a two-yd rush for his first touchdown in 1,043 days.
• Up 24-0, the Warrior defense forced a turnover-on-downs near midfield. In good field position, DeLaurentis guided his second passing touchdown drive, finding Heyser for his first collegiate score from five-yards out.
• Another drive for the Bald Eagles, another drive halted by the Warrior defense. After its second consecutive turnover-on-downs, McTaggart took over quarterback duties. The Lampeter Strasburg product found completions to Clifford Brinkley for a first down and Lewis successfully rushed down the field. Bartholomew booted a 42-yd field goal to extend the Warrior lead to 34-0 to wrap up the 3rd quarter scoring.
• LHU booted a punt after a quick drive offensively to open the final quarter. McTaggart, a redshirt freshman found true freshman Heyser for a gain of 18 yards, which helped Mills find the end zone from three-yards out for his first career collegiate touchdown.
• With the game in hand, ESU added a run via 28-yd rush from Lewis to take a 48-0 edge.
• Lock Haven responded with a 79-yd touchdown from backup quarterback Samuel Barber to Kenneth Pettiford to avoid a shutout and wrap up the scoring for the game.
• ESU would run the clock out on the final drive of the game, handing Lock Haven a 49-7 loss on Family Weekend.

Up Next

• ESU (2-2) hosts Kutztown (2-2) in an important PSAC East battle on Sat., Oct. 1 at Eiler-Martin Stadium. The annual Big Brother Big Sisters matchup is set for 1:05 p.m. against the Golden Bears.