Box Score Danial Shelton made 12 tackles and Cole Dixon registers 11 as the Susquehanna University Football defense held nationally-ranked Franklin and Marshall to just seven points in regulation but the Diplomats scored a touchdown in overtime to record a 14-7 win Saturday afternoon in a Centennial Conference matchup at Shadek Stadium in Lancaster.
Franklin and Marshall (4-0 Overall, 3-0 Centennial), ranked No. 24 in the latest D3football.com national poll, scored its only point of regulation with a long drive in the second quarter that tied the game at 7-7.
Susquehanna (2-2, 1-2) had scored in the first quarter to take the early lead on a Michael Ruisch 3-yard run into the end zone.
The River Hawks nearly took a 14-7 lead at the end of the first half advancing the ball down to the one-yard line but a fumble into the end zone ended the drive and kept the game tied.
The defensive battle continued in the second have as each defense held strong throughout the scoreless half of play.
In overtime, Franklin and Marshall had the first possession and scored on a 21-yard run.
Susquehanna took over possession and marched down the field inside the five yard line. The key play in the drive was a fourth down pass completion to Kyle Good for a first down after Ruisch was chased out of the pocket and nearly sacks. Three plays later a pass by Ruisch into the end zone in the direction of Samuel Darrell was intercepted to end the game.
Ruisch finished 22-for-44Â for 172 yards and also ran for 64Â yards and a TD. Darrell had seven catches for 68 yards.
Shelton and Dixon led the defense with 12 and 11 tackles respectively and each had a pair of pass deflections. Connor Thompson added nine stops and Kashief Hyatt chipped in four tackles including a sack and a forced fumble late in the fourth quarter.
The River Hawks will play again next Saturday on the road with a trip to Dickinson for a Centennial Conference game at 1 p.m. in Carlisle.
