CARLISLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College football team rallied in the second half to defeat Dickinson 24-13 in their regular season finale on Saturday afternoon in Centennial Conference action.
With the win, the Bears improved to 9-1 overall for the first time since the 1999 season as they made their final pitch to possibly earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since that very same season. Ursinus finished its Centennial Conference slate 5-1 and turn its attention to the NCAA Division III football selection show tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the Red Devils conclude its regular season 5-5 and 2-4 in Centennial Conference play and will earn a Centennial-MAC Bowl Series spot if the Bears make the NCAA field.
Senior quarterback Jalen Bradford passed for 169 yards on 10-of-20 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. Bradford was huge on the ground for the Bears by adding a season-high 96 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. Senior wide receiver Justin Collier led the Bears with 51 yards on four catches while junior wide receiver Markel Roberts-Jackson caught Bradford's touchdown pass on his only reception of the game.
Senior running back Tony Holden registered his 8th 100+ yard rushing game of the season with 116 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown.
After each team traded two punts to start the first quarter, the Red Devils caught the first break when Bradford was intercepted in Bears territory and set Dickinson up at the 30-yard line. The Bears defense responded by turning Dickinson over on downs to keep the game scoreless. Ursinus reached Dickinson territory for the first time in the game during their initial drive of the second quarter before punting away again. Holden pushed the Bears deep into the red zone behind a pair of first down runs and Ursinus broke the scoreless tie with a 23-yard field goal by junior kicker Jordan Carr at the 6:33-mark. However, the Red Devils responded with the games first touchdown drive and took a 6-3 lead with 1:54 left in the first half. Senior defensive lineman Michael McCuen blocked the extra point attempt to keep it a one score game.
Much like the first quarter, each team opened the third quarter with two punts. The Bears were backed up at its own 7-yard line before Bradford connected on three 20+ yard pass completions, the third being a 28-yard touchdown strike to Roberts Jackson that gave Ursinus the lead back at 10-6 with 3:05 left in the third quarter. Ursinus forced another punt and put together a 13-play 91-yard drive to extend its lead to 17-6 after Holden punched it in from a yard out at the 9:19-mark of the fourth quarter. Bradford ultimately put the game away on the Bears next drive when he raced 54 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown to make it a 24-6 game with 5:47 left in regulation. Dickinson scored a quick touchdown in less than two minutes to make it a 24-13 game with 3:34 left in the 4th quarter, but the Bears recovered an onside kick attempt before running out the clock to preserve the win.
Senior linebacker Marc Clayton maintained his Centennial Conference tackle lead with a team-high 10 stops (four solo) while junior defensive lineman Aaron Rios posted six tackles (four solo), 2.5 TFL, and one sack. Senior defensive end Connor Carter and senior safety Pat McManus also posted sacks in the win.
Dickinson quarterback Presley Egbers went 23-of-38 passing for 207 yards and two touchdown passes. Red Devils wide receiver Bobby Markey caught 12 passes for 122 yards with one touchdown.
The Bears now await their postseason fate tomorrow as the NCAA Division III football selection show airs at 5:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. If Ursinus does not make the NCAA tournament, they would host a Centennial-MAC Bowl Series game next Saturday, November 23rd.
Football Outlasts Dickinson 24-13 in Regular Season Finale
/seasons/2024/boxscores/20241116_b22v.xml
2024
Ursinus
24
Dickinson
13
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ursinus (9-1) | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Dickinson (5-5) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
Nov 16, 2024