Sophomore quarterback Chris Curran completed 30-of-40 passes for 314 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and he ran for three one-yard touchdowns to lead the Ursinus College football team to a 42-7 win over host Moravian College in Centennial Conference action at Rocco Calvo Field Saturday.
The Bears won their third straight game to improve to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in Centennial Conference play this fall while the Greyhounds fall to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in conference action. Both schools have a bye week before returning to action with Moravian traveling to Susquehanna University on Saturday, October 15 for its next contest.
Ursinus received the opening kickoff and would drive 65 yards in nine plays to take the initial lead in the game. Curran capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run after a 19-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Jerry Rahill set the Bears up with a first-and-goal to go. Sophomore kicker Michael Bennett added the extra-point to give Ursinus a 7-0 lead with 11:03 to go in the first half.
Moravian's first possession of the game would end in a punt but junior Tyler Thompson booted a 55-yard punt towards the far sideline, and Greyhound sophomore defensive back Dalton Petit, downed the ball inside the one-yard line.
The Bears gained just one yard before junior Derek Giannetti punted out of his own end zone.
The Greyhounds took over at the Ursinus 33-yard line, and moved into the red zone with a pass from sophomore quarterback Robbie Moyer to junior wide receiver Ryan Onushco and an Ursinus penalty, one of 13 penalties against the Bears. Moravian moved to the one-yard line on a pass from Moyer to senior wide receiver Ray Olivo before junior running back Joe Tegan scored on a one-yard run. Junior kicker Ian Heck added the extra-point to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:33 to go in the first quarter.
Ursinus was unable to move the ball on its next drive, punting after three plays; however, Moyer was intercepted by Bears' senior linebacker Greg Martell on the first play o Moravian's drive.
The Bears needed just three plays to cover the 29-yards to the end zone and retake the lead. Sophomore running back Drae Lewis capped the drive with a two-yard run after a 20-yard scamper by sophomore running back Bryan Ellis set-up a first-and-goal. Bennett's PAT gave Ursinus a 14-7 lead with 3:33 left in the first stanza.
Moravian was forced to punt again on its next drive after just three plays.
Ursinus started at its own 27-yard line and put together an 11-play, 73 yard drive with Curran hitting Rahill with a 26-yard touchdown pass to extend the Bears' lead to 21-7 after Bennett's extra-point with 12:53 led in the second quarter.
Moravian picked up two first downs on its next drive with Moyer completing passes to Onushco and Olivo, but Thompson would come on to punt again. Thompson aimed towards the near sideline this time and Onushco was able to down the ball at the one-yard line again.
The Bears would get out to midfield on a 42-yard pass from Curran to senior wide receiver Nick Giarrantano and looked to move into the red zone two plays later, but a pair of personal fouls including one on the Ursinus bench, moved the Bears' back to their own 22-yard line and set up a second-and-38. On the third down play, Moravian was called for pass interference to give Ursinus a first down and keep the drive alive. The Bears would eventually finish off the 18-play, 99-yard drive with a one-yard run from Curran with just 15 seconds left in the first half. Bennett's kick set the score at 28-7.
Moravian junior defensive back Travis King had a 49-yard return on the ensuing kickoff to become the third player in school history to surpass 1,000 kickoff return yards in a career, now at 1,024, and a penalty put the ball at the Ursinus 25-yard line. Heck lined up for a 42-yard field goal on the final play of the half but before the kick was attempted, another penalty was called on the Ursinus bench and moved the ball to the 12-yard line. However, Heck's 29-yard attempt sailed wide right as time expired in the first half.
The Greyhounds started with the ball in the second half but ran just three plays before calling on Thompson to punt. Moravian needed just one play to get the ball back as junior defensive back Rees Judge would intercept Curran at the Moravian 31-yard line. For Judge, it was his team and Centennial Conference leading fourth interception of the season.
The teams would trade punts until Ursinus junior defensive back Scott Gardus intercepted a Moyer pass at the Bears' 48-yard line. Ursinus needed nine plays to extend its lead to 35-7 on a one-yard run by Curran with 57 seconds left in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Ursinus junior punter Derek Giannetti would kick a punt out of bounds, and pin the Greyhounds at their own one-yard line. Moravian was unable to pick up a first down and punted again. The Bears would have a short field and finished the scoring with a three-yard run from Lewis to cap a seven-play, 43-yard drive. Bennett's PAT finished the scoring at 42-7 with five minutes to play.
Ursinus had 410 yards of offense on 83 plays with Ellis running for 47 yards on 18 attempts. Lewis added 36 yards and hit two touchdowns on ten carries. Rahill led the Bears' receivers with eight receptions for 91 yards and a score while senior wideout Al Desiderio had six catches for 58 yards. Giarrantano caught five passes for 81 yards while Ellis had five receptions for 35 yards.
Moyer was eight-for-22 for 80 yards with two interceptions in his second straight start. Olivo caught three passes for 31 yards while Onushco had three catches for 26 yards. Junior wide receiver Rocco Del Priore caught one pass for 20 yards, and he returned four kickoffs for 71 yards while King returned a total of three kickoffs for 83 yards. Tegan ran for 40 yards and a touchdown on ten carries while junior running back C.J. Billera had 16 yards on five attempts.
Petit, senior defensive back D.J. Wacker and senior linebacker Ryan Hartzell led the Moravian with nine tackles apiece with Petit and Wacker each adding a pass break-up. Senior linebacker Stephen Kircher had seven tackles for the Greyhounds while Judge added seven tackles with an interception and two passes defended. King and junior linebacker Luke Trexler each had six tackles for Moravian with Trexler adding a pass break-up while senior linebacker Douglas DiMattia added four stops.
Sophomore defensive back Matt Ruby led the Ursinus defense with seven tackles while senior defensive lineman Sean Whelan had five tackles. Martell, senior defensive back Mike Rissmiller and senior defensive back Joe Henry all had four tackles for the Bears with Martell adding an interception.
