COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Once again, the Ursinus College football team got contributions from all three areas: offense, defense and special teams, as the Bears (2-0, 1-0 Centennial) won its home and conference opener with a 31-14 win over Gettysburg (0-2, 0-1 Centennial) Saturday afternoon at rainy Patterson Field.
While Gettysburg held a yardage advantage (341-227), the Ursinus defense forced five Bullet turnovers, including a blocked punt and an interception return for a touchdown.
Senior quarterback Kevin Monahan (East Windsor, N.J./Hightstown) threw for a touchdown and ran for one, while sophomore running back Corey Kelly (Conshohocken, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) ran for a 6-yard score in the fourth quarter.
Junior linebacker James Roccograndi (Dallas, Pa./Dallas) had an interception return for a touchdown, a 30-yard score late in the first quarter. That marked the third pick-six for the Bears in the first two weeks.
Junior wide receiver Nick Lundholm (Barrington, N.J./Haddon Heights) had a 5-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, while junior kicker Eric Boyer (Fort Washington, Pa./Upper Dublin) had a 20-yard field goal.
Junior fullback Nick Pustizzi (Pittsgrove, N.J./Arthur P. Shalick) had an outstanding day on special teams, blocking a punt on Gettysburg's first drive, and making a key block on a punt return by senior defensive back Matt Glowacki (Spring City, Pa./Spring-Ford) to set up the field goal.
Defensively, junior defensive end Steve Ambs (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) followed up his opening week performance with a 13 tackle day (ten solo), five tackles for loss, three sacks and a fumble recovery. Roccograndi finished with nine stops.
The Bullets got 188 yards on 15-for-30 passing from senior quarterback Zach Miller, and 101 yards on 11 carries from senior running back Fred Caruso. Junior wide receiver Brandon Sparks had two TD catches for the Bullets, who got nine tackles from sophomore linebacker Michael Pennella and senior linebacker Mike Maguire.
Ursinus took the opening kickoff and went 71 yards in 14 plays, ending with a Monahan one-yard plunge for a 7-0 Bears lead with 8:30 left.
On the next drive, Pustizzi blocked the punt on the Gettysburg 16-yard line giving the Bears a short field, but, they would miss a 35-yard field goal.
Glowacki's 47-yard punt return after Gettysburg went three-and-out put the Bears on the Gettysburg 10 with 4:18 left. Three plays later, Boyer converted a 20-yard field goal for 10-0 at 2:50.
Roccograndi would intercept Miller on a second-and-13, picking off the pass at the 30 and scoring for a 17-0 lead. Ursinus would force another turnover on a Gettysburg drive, as senior defensive back Kevin Kohout (Woodbury, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) stripped junior tailback Kyle Wigley at the Ursinus 31, which was recovered by junior James Worrilow (Wilmington, Del./Concord).
After pinning Gettysburg on the 1, the Bullets responded by going 99-yards in six plays, with Miller finding Sparks for a 48-yard score at 4:51 making the score 17-7.
In the third, Ursinus forced another turnover, this time as senior defensive back Max DeNardo (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan)intercepted Miller with 14:12 left to set up a short field. Ursinus then converted as Monahan completed a 5-yard pass to Lundholm with 9:56 left and giving the Bears a 24-7 lead.
In the fourth, Gettysburg put the deficit to ten when Miller threw to Sparks for a 23-yard score with 12:02 left, making the score 24-14.
Ursinus iced the game when Kelly ran for a six-yard score with 3:01 left in the fourth.