CARLISLE, Pa. – The Ursinus Bears football team overcame a 20-point deficit before ultimately dropping a 27-20 decision to Dickinson in overtime on Saturday afternoon in Centennial Conference action.
Senior running back Samuel Ragland became the second player in Bears program history to eclipse the 3,000-yard rushing plateau as he rushed for 112 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown. Ragland now stands at 3,041 career rushing yards and needs 226 yards to eclipse Bill Sedgwick's career rushing yards record of 3,267. Ragland also added three catches for 34 yards and one touchdown through the air. Senior quarterback Jack Psenicska went 25-of-46 for 248 yards through the air and tossed one touchdown pass. Junior wide receiver Nick Schnaars led all Bears wide receivers with eight catches for 86 yards, and senior Octavious Carter added 53 yards on five catches.
After the Bears were forced to punt on their first possession of the game, the Red Devils used an 11-play 58-yard drive to take the early 7-0 lead at the 5:03 mark of the first quarter following a one-yard touchdown run from Diante Ball. Ursinus was forced into a three-and-out on their ensuing possession and Dickinson went on another long drive into the second quarter to take a 14-0 lead at the 11:30-mark.
The Red Devils used 7:05 off the clock on a 13-play 65-yard drive that was capped by Ball's second touchdown of the game, this time from two yards out. The Bears continued to struggle on offense in the first half as they were forced into a second-straight three-and-out. Junior Billy Cook pinned the Red Devils at their own one-yard line, but Dickinson made quick work as they drove the length of the field in seven plays to go up 20-0 following Ball's third touchdown of the half. The Bears earned their initial first down of the second quarter on their next drive but were unable to keep momentum going as they were forced to punt again. Ursinus forced Dickinson to punt for the first time on their next drive after sophomore defensive lineman Ryan Bodolus sacked Red Devils quarterback Tim Graham on third down. The Bears used up the final 3:17 of the first half and broke onto the scoreboard with a 29-yard field goal from junior kicker Dakota Wherrity to make it a 20-3 game.
Ursinus forced a Red Devils punt to open the second half and continued to cut into the Dickinson lead as Wherrity added his second field goal of the day to make it a 20-6 contest. The Bears defense kept its momentum going by forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing Dickinson possession, but this time the offense stalled at the Red Devils 42-yard line on their next drive. A short punt on the next Dickinson drive set Ursinus up with good starting field position at their own 47-yard line.
The Bears took advantage of the short field by driving 53 yards in six plays, capped by a 16-yard touchdown from Ragland on third down and two. Wherrity had his extra point blocked to keep the deficit at 20-12 with 14:53 left in regulation. Another Bodolus sack ended the next Dickinson drive and a 12-yard punt put the Bears at the Red Devils 47-yard line, setting Ursinus up with a chance to potentially tie the game. Unfortunately for the Bears, they were forced into a turnover on downs at the Red Devils 31-yard line following an incompletion on 4th and 10. Ursinus once again was stopped on fourth down on its ensuing drive at midfield after Psenicska's pass fell incomplete. The Bears defense gave its offense one last chance by forcing another three-and-out on the next Red Devils drive. Ursinus made the most of the chance as Psenicska marched the Bears down the field and capped his 8-for-8 drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ragland with 29 seconds left in regulation. Needing a two-point conversion to tie, Psenicska found Cook in the endzone to knot things up at 20 and force overtime.
Ursinus seemed to have the Red Devils stopped without allowing a point on the first overtime possession as Bodolus racked up back-to-back sacks to force a 4th and 14. However, Red Devils quarterback Caleb Pruitt found Devlin McCool in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown pass to stun the Bears. The Bears found themselves in a hole to start their first overtime possession after they were called for illegal use of hands on the Red Devils touchdown, and Dickinson chose to enforce it on the Ursinus offensive drive. Ragland marched the Bears down to the Red Devils three-yard line on three runs but were unable to advance any further as Dickinson ended the game with a fourth down stop.
Bodolus matched a single-game program record on defense with five sacks in addition to tallying eight tackles. It was the most sacks in a game for a Bears player since Josh Kemp posted five against McDaniel in 2003. Junior linebacker Brett Gross and sophomore defensive back Ryan DiVergilis led the Bears with 14 tackles apiece.
Ball led the Red Devils offense with 102 yards on 14 carries with three touchdowns.