COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Ursinus College sophomore quarterback Chris Curran (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) plunged for a 1-yard score with 19 seconds left as the Bears (2-2, 2-1 Centennial) defeated McDaniel (1-3, 1-2 Centennial) 35-28 Saturday afternoon in football action.
Curran's sneak capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive that took 3:07 as Ursinus won its second game in a row and evened its mark.
Sophomore running back Bryan Ellis (Owings Mills, Md./McDonogh School) rushed for 180 yards on 26 carries and a score, earning the Kenneth Walker Trophy for the most outstanding player in the Homecoming game. The 180 yards was a career high for Ellis.
Curran finished 21-for-33 for 166 yards and rushed for 45 yards on seven carries.
McDaniel, who came into the game as one of the top teams in rushing in Division III, finished the game with 117 yards rushing. Sophomore running back Joe Rollins finished the game with 97 yards, and came into the game averaging 194 yards rushing per game.
Ursinus racked up three sacks defensively on the afternoon, as senior linebacker Greg Martell (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) had two sacks on the afternoon. Martell finished 13 tackles, which was a game-high.
Curran finished off the final drive himself, as he rushed for 14 yards with 37 seconds left, giving Ursinus a 1st-and-10 at McDaniel 6 yard line. Curran then rushed for five yards with 22 seconds left, setting up the game-winning score.
McDaniel got the ball back, but, got as far as the Ursinus 48-yard line before its throw to the end zone fell short as time expired.
Ursinus started off the game by going 66-yards on six plays, ending with a three-yard run by junior fullback Teddy Conrad (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) with 12:08 left for a 7-0 Ursinus lead. McDaniel got on the board before the end of the first quarter, scoring on a seven-play, 54-yard drive as Rollins scored from two yards out. The PAT was blocked by junior defensive tackle Greg Fontaina (Millburn. N.J./Millburn), giving Ursinus a 7-6 lead at the end of the first.
Ursinus took a 14-6 lead with 4:08 left in the second, putting together a 12-play, 54-yard drive in 6:19 with Conrad rushing from three yards out with 4:08 left for a 14-6 lead.
On the next play from scrimmage, McDaniel answered back as freshman quarterback Nick Valori found sophomore wide receiver Nick O'Melia for a 65-yard score, cutting the Ursinus lead to 14-13 with 3:53 left in the first half.
Ursinus took a 21-13 lead into halftime, as Curran rushed off-tackle for 13 yards with 16 seconds left in the first half.
In the second half, McDaniel drove down on its second possession of the half and threatened to score, but, Valori was picked off in the end zone by junior defensive back Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) who returned it back to the McDaniel 48 yard line with 7:44 left. McDaniel, after holding Ursinus to a 3-and-out, got to within one at 21-20 with 4:32 left on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Valori to senior wide receiver Matt Emerson.
Ursinus took a 28-20 lead in the fourth quarter, via a 58-yard rush by Ellis with 5:17 left in the quarter. McDaniel then tied the score on its ensuing drive with a 10-yard rush from Rollins with 3:34 left.
Senior wide receiver Nick Giarratano (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood) caught a team and game-high five passes for 36 yards for Ursinus. O'Melia had a game-high 107 yards receiving for the Green Terror.
Ursinus heads to Moravian next Saturday to close the first half of the schedule.