Reddy throws for 222 yards

RINDGE, N.H. (October 17, 2015) – The offense of the Franklin Pierce University sprint football team was far from the first victim of the defensive unit pieced together by Army in 2015. The Black Knights had not allowed a point in their four games prior to Saturday, a streak which remained intact after they posted another shutout and dealt a 24-0 loss to Franklin Pierce in Collegiate Sprint Football league play at Sodexo Field. The Franklin Pierce defense flexed some of its own muscle as well, as Army had averaged 48.8 points per game coming into the contest.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 2-3 (2-3 CSFL), while Army improves to 5-0 (5-0 CSFL).

Both defenses were effective out of the gate on Saturday, as each of the first quarter's seven drives ended with a punt. Franklin Pierce put together the two longest drives of the quarter, but even the lengthier of those only went eight plays and 31 yards over 3:07 before stalling out.

The two teams traded interceptions early in the second quarter, as Franklin Pierce senior quarterback Derek Reddy (Natick, Mass.) was picked off by Army senior defensive back Shaq Tolbert. On the very next play, Army freshman quarterback Brady Miller was intercepted by Franklin Pierce junior defensive back Brandon Knight (Bronx, N.Y.).

The interception left Franklin Pierce pinned deep in its own end, as they took over with first-and-10 at the 6-yard line. On the second play, Reddy turned the ball back over, this time with a fumble, which was recovered by Army senior linebacker Ryan Gallagher. The Ravens defense was equal to the task, as it refused to allow Army any yardage, despite the drive beginning with first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Junior running back Marqus Burrell was stuffed twice for no gain, before sophomore defensive back Karon Hair (Long Branch, N.J.) broke up a pass intended for senior wideout Tucker Van Dyke. With the wind swirling across Sodexo Field, senior kicker Warren Kay pushed the ensuing 22-yard field goal attempt wide to the right to keep the game scoreless.

Franklin Pierce would not escape a second straight miscue deep in its own end without allowing points. Taking over on first-and-10 at the 20-yard line after the missed field goal, two rushes and a sack combined to leave the team facing second-and-14 at the 16-yard line. Lined up to punt the ball away, the snap was too high for Reddy to handle cleanly, resulting in a fumble. The Ravens were able to fall on the ball inside their own 1-yard line, but the resulting turnover on downs left Army with first-and-goal from there.

The Ravens defense did its best to hold the Black Knights off the scoreboard again. Senior defensive lineman Shawn Wright (Hartford, Conn.) brought down Miller in the backfield on a keeper play for a loss of five yards on first down. After Burrell got two yards back, Miller threw incomplete for Van Dyke, broken up by senior linebacker James Willette (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.). This time, Kay was good from 21 yards to open the scoring and give Army the 3-0 lead.

On its next drive, Army took over in Franklin Pierce territory, at the 48-yard line, and needed just four plays to cover the distance and find the end zone. Miller and junior wide receiver Austin Breed connected twice on the quick drive, for 14 yards on the second play and again for the 24-yard score. After the touchdown, Army took a 10-0 lead into the halftime break.

The teams traded stalled drives again for much of the third quarter, with neither team advancing beyond the opposition's 30-yard line, before Army struck for a defensive score. Facing second-and-9 at his own 22-yard line, Reddy threw over the middle and was intercepted by junior linebacker Matthew Tamurri. With the defensive line suddenly a blocking convoy in front of him, Tamurri was able to return the ball 35 yards for the touchdown, which pushed the lead to 17-0.

The Black Knights would create the 24-0 final with one more score midway through the fourth quarter. In at quarterback, freshman Keegan West keyed the drive with a pair of long runs and capped it with a 24-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wideout Ty Galyean.

For Franklin Pierce, senior running back D.J. MacDonald (Mattapoisett, Mass.) was the leading rusher, though he netted just 13 yards on 14 carries. In all, the Ravens finished the day with -31 yards rushing, compared to 159 for Army. Reddy finished 17-for-38 and threw for 222 yards on the day, but was also intercepted four times and sacked seven times. Senior wideout Jahlil Dean (Maple Shade, N.J.) made three catches for 44 yards.

Defensively for the Ravens, Willette was a part of 14 tackles (10 solo) and also broke up a pass. Knight filled out a number of columns in the box score, as he had six solo tackles, two tackles for loss totaling four yards, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception and one pass break-up.

For Army, Burrell racked up 61 yards on 22 carries (2.8 yards/carry) to lead the way on the ground. Through the air, Miller went 10-for-22 for 84 yards and a touchdown, while being intercepted once. Breed hauled in half of the team's catches on the day, as he finished with eight receptions for 83 yards and a score.

Defensively for the Black Knights, Tamurri led the way with nine tackles (three solo). He had one sack, as part of 1.5 tackles for loss totaling 11 yards, and also had the 35-yard interception return for a touchdown. Sophomore defensive lineman Arran Rounds was a part of seven tackles (five solo), including two sacks for a loss of 13 yards. Senior defensive lineman Philip Choi had four solo tackles, three of which were sacks, totaling a loss of 21 yards.

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, Oct. 23, when they travel to Chestnut Hill for a non-conference game, as Chestnut Hill's games do not count towards CSFL standings in the program's inaugural season. Opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Football Stadium in Lafayette Hill, Pa.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce sprint football apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).