BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Moravian College scored the go-ahead touchdown with 6:52 left in the game as the Greyhounds edged Lebanon Valley College, 19-18, in an entertaining non-conference game Saturday.
Lebanon Valley (1-2) took an 18-12 lead in the fourth quarter thanks to Charlie Parker's two-yard touchdown run, but a late Moravian (3-0) drive nullified the lead.
Freshman quarterback Caleb Fick ended up 12-for-29 for 141 yards and a touchdown, mostly in the second half. Parker turned in his second straight 100-yard game, rushing for 116 yards and a TD on 23 carries.
Junior Daryl Buck had an outstanding defensive game, recovering two fumbles, forcing another, and recording a sack to go with four tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss.
The first half was a low-scoring affair, with the Greyhounds only coming away with a pair of field goals. The defensive battle was at times bizarre, and at one point featured four turnovers in five plays.
Midway through the second quarter, senior Adam Brossman's punt pinned Moravian deep in their own terrority at their own eight. On second down, quarterback Marc Braxmeier was intercepted by junior Brian Cottone to set off a string of turnovers. After a Parker rush, Fick fumbled a handoff and couldn't fall on the ball as Zach Santiago recovered for Moravian.
On the next play, Braxmeier went up the middle on a keeper and was hit hard by Buck, popping the ball loose for Adam Shilling to fall on. A third fumble in as many plays came on first down for LVC when Parker was hit and lost the ball on the way down, setting up Andrew Morrissey's recovery in the pile.
The Dutchmen came flying out of the gate in the second half, with Fick alternating four straight completions between Brossman and Sean Donovan before hitting Donovan on an 11-yard strike to put LVC on top 7-6.
Fick came under pressure and tried to dump a screen pass to his right, but Doug Bocchino intercepted the ball and ran 45 yards to score. Tyler McCambridge's two-point conversion run fell short, and the Greyhounds led 12-7.
Dan DiBona got three points back with a 27-yard field goal, his first of the season, to cut the Greyhound lead to 12-10.
On the ensuing kickoff, the DiBona took a lowkick off that was fumbled, and Buck again came up the recovery to give LVC the ball in Greyhound territory. The Dutchmen were stopped and forced to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the 32, and Fick picked up the first down with the keeper to keep the drive alive.
The Dutchmen again found themselves in a fourth-and-1 situation at the 21, and Fick rolled left on a bootleg and ended up with a 19-yard gain to the two. Parker punched in the go-ahead touchdown on the next play. Fick's pass to Brossman made it 18-12.
Moravian came right back and drove deep into LVC territory, and a pair of LVC personal foul penalties put the Greyhounds on the two-yard line. Braxmeier made the most of the opportunity, finding Kris Bisci deep in the end zone to put the Greyhounds up 19-18.
LVC were forced to punt on the next drive, and by the time they got the ball back with 8 seconds left, Fick's Hail Mary was intercepted by Jason Lauver to end the game.
Game notes: Buck had a fumble recovery, forced fumble and a sack, all on seperate plays, in the first half ... Senior Russ DeStefano had an interception in the first half ... Brian Reckenbeil broke Moravian's all-time field goals record with his 21st career kick late in the first half ... Senior Russ DeStefano ... Sophomore linebacker Bruno Iozzo was ejected on a personal foul just before Moravian's go-ahead touchdown ... Adam Brossman, who had scored nine touchdowns in three career games against Moravian, was held without a TD, although he caught a two-point conversion ... Both teams ended up with five turnovers apiece ... LVC had just 11 yards of total offense in the first quarter ... Parker crossed the 1,000-yard career mark in the game.
