Shepherd uses second half points, more special teams contributions to beat Millersville

Muhle
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — The rain seems to follow Shepherd University football — almost as much as winning conference games has again this season.
On a wet but successful mid-Pennsylvania afternoon, Shepherd counted 30 second-half points to finally dispatch Millersville University, 33-17, on a third straight Saturday where the weather was a pre-game or prime time factor. The Rams improved to 6-1 overall.
Shepherd zealously protected the football and was only penalized five times for 29 yards in slogging past the Marauders (now 3-4 overall).
Neither team did much offensively in a first half, where Shepherd got a James Bozek field goal, to make it 3-3 at the dreary halftime.
With more umbrellas, ponchos, rain gear and empty seats surrounding the playing field than points on the little-used scoreboard, the second half would see the Rams notch 30 more points to stay alive in the PSAC East Division standings that will send the winner to the league’s championship game.

Barnett
Millersville won the first points of the still-soggy second half, taking a short-lived 10-3 advantage.
But then Shepherd counted the game’s next 16 points to lead, 19-10.
The Rams’ special teams, which already had gifted three return TDs in earlier games, had Robby Hart block a punt which then rolled out of the end zone for a safety.
Shepherd had its first lead — no matter how precarious — at 12-10.
Bullish Jordan Barnett, seeing more and more playing time, scored the first of his two rushing TDs on a three-yard drive to make it 19-10. Barnett finished his wet day with 11 carries for 76 yards. Starter Malakai Brown ran 20 times for 103 yards.

Brown
The Marauders were not finished. Jaheim Morris, a literal star in defeat, scored to bring some warmth to the Millersville side as the home team drew within two points at 19-10. Morris actually rushed 24 times for 229 yards in a team-losing effort.
Soon after the Morris TD, Millersville had another possession. But it was near its own end zone. And the Rams’ Nathan Muhle made a fumble-causing sack, that saw Kevin Couser make the recovery and subsequent two-yard run to an all-important score that upped Shepherd’s lead to 26-17 with just 6:16 left on the shrinking fourth quarter clock.
Barnett’s second touchdown of the now-prosperous Shepherd afternoon closed out the scoring with only 2:51 remaining as the Rams shot out to a definitive 33-17 lead.
Other statistical leaders for the ambitious Rams were wide receiver Jeremiah Taylor, with his seven pass receptions for 99 yards, and linebacker Harold O’Neal, with his nine tackles.
This week, the Rams are back at home for a noontime game against West Chester in one of the more watched Homecoming Weekend events on campus.

O'Neal
Four more regular season games dot the end of the regular season schedule — three of which will be held in Ram Stadium.
- Muhle
- Barnett
- Brown
- Couser
- O’Neal

Couser