BETHLEHEM, Pa – Brian Reckenbeil kicked a 19-yard field goal with four seconds left, and Moravian College defeated Lebanon Valley 38-35 in an offensively-dominated Middle Atlantic Conference football game Saturday afternoon at Steel Field.
Playing in place of starting running back Chris Jacoubs, backup Marc Panepinto ran for a career-high 213 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries for Moravian (4-5, 4-5 MAC).
Lebanon Valley's loss spoiled a record-setting day for sophomore receiver Adam Brossman and junior quarterback Dan Kelly. Brossman set Lebanon Valley touchdown receptions records for a game (four), season (13), and career (20) while tying the school record for points in a game (26). Kelly tied the LVC record for touchdown passes in a game (five) and is now just one touchdown pass shy of tying the career school record of 37 held by Lou Sorrentino '54.
The Dutchmen (2-7, 2-6 MAC) lost by a field goal or less for the second game in a row and by a touchdown or less for the fourth time this season.
The two teams combined for 805 yards, with Moravian holding a 439-366 advantage.
Junior fullback John Smith was the Dutchmen's top ball carrier, rushing for a career-high 56 yards on just five carries.
The Greyhounds took over at their own 24 with 3:49 left in the game following a punt. Moravian then ran the ball eight straight times for 74 yards, with two long rushes doing the bulk of the damage, to get into field-goal range. On second-and-six, a Panepinto 31-yard run put the ball at the LVC-30, and on the next play Venturino broke loose for a 21-yard gain, setting up first-and-goal.
Panepinto ran it three more times to get to the 2-yard line. After a Moravian timeout and two LVC timeouts, Reckenbeil came on to split the uprights for the game-winning kick.
Moravian's running game was also in high gear early on. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Greyhounds ran the ball 11 straight times, with Venturino scoring from 1 yard out on a quarterback keeper. After forcing the Dutchmen to go three-and-out, Moravian went to the air just once on a 7-play, 77-yard touchdown drive, capped by a Venturino 2-yard run. However, the Greyhounds lone passing play was a big one, with Venturino hitting Shawn Martell with a 43-yard pass that gave the 'Hounds the ball at the LVC-26. Reckenbeil's second extra point made it 14-0 with 4:10 left in the first quarter.
The Dutchmen went three-and-out again on their second possession, but after forcing Moravian to punt near the end of the first quarter, Lebanon Valley got its offense going. The Dutchmen drove 77 yards on 13 plays, and Kelly found Brossman for a 3-yard scoring toss. However, Kelly's extra point was no good, making it 14-6 with 10:04 left in the opening half.
Moravian threatened to score again on the ensuing possession, going 41 yards on eight plays to the Dutchman-29, but the drive stalled when Venturino recovered a bad snap on a fourth-and-two.
Lebanon Valley continued to move the ball well, going 67 yards on seven plays. Kelly found Brossman for a 12-yard touchdown pass, then connected with Brossman again for the two-point conversion to tie the game 14-14 with 3:17 left in the half.
A short kickoff gave Moravian the ball at the LVC-49. The Dutchmen came up with a stop on third-and-one at its own 23, but LVC was called for pass interference, the first penalty of the game. Two plays later, Venturino found Shawn Martell for a 10-yard touchdown pass, as the Greyhounds went ahead 21-14 with 1:02 on the clock.
The Dutchmen were given one shot at a score before the end of the half when Moravian fumbled a fair catch following a punt on the ensuing possession. Lebanon Valley received the ball at the Moravian-22, but Kelly had his arm hit while trying to throw the ball into the end zone.
After receiving the opening kickoff of the second half, Lebanon Valley marched 54 yards on 10 plays, and Kelly found senior receiver Luke Rendine for a 6-yard touchdown pass. Kelly kicked the extra point to pull the Dutchmen even at 21 with 9:41 left in the third quarter.
The Greyhounds punted on the next possession, and on LVC's first play from scrimmage, Kelly connected with Brossman for a 72-yard touchdown pass. Faking a handoff and then a reverse, Kelly launched the ball deep down the middle of the field, where Brossman cradled it in, made a spin move to elude a tackler, then sprinted in the final 25 yards. Another Kelly kick gave Lebanon Valley its first lead of the game at 28-21 with 5:44 to go in the quarter.
Moravian answered with a five-play, 67-yard drive, highlighted by a 36-yard pass from Venturino to Russ Demko that gave the 'Hounds the ball at the Dutchman-28. Panepinto capped the march with a 1-yard touchdown run, and Reckenbeil's kick made it 28-28 with 3:32 left in the third quarter.
On the second play of the fourth quarter, the Dutchmen faced a third-and-10 from the Moravian-16 before Kelly hit Brossman for a touchdown for the fourth time. Kelly's final extra point put LVC on top 35-28.
The Greyhounds answered again, however, going 57 yards on 12 plays with Venturino finding Martell for a 12-yard touchdown pass. Another Reckenbeil extra point made it 35-35 with 8:18 to go.
After the Dutchmen went three-and-out on their next possession, Moravian picked up a first down before Venturino was intercepted by junior cornerback Dan Stauffer on a pass deep downfield. Lebanon Valley took over at its own 32, and a nine-yard run by Kelly gave LVC a third-and-one. But sophomore tailback Ryan Brennan was hit for a loss on the next play, forcing the Dutchmen to punt again before Moravian's game-winning drive.
Senior Chris Weaver led the Dutchmen with 12 tackles while freshman linebacker Brian Cottone had 10 stops.
Lebanon Valley plays its season finale next Saturday, when it hosts Albright College in another MAC game starting at 1 p.m.
[Photo - Junior Dan Kelly, who tied a school record with five touchdown passes on Saturday against Moravian]
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