MADISON, N.J. – Lebanon Valley controlled all three phases Saturday afternoon, rushing for 240 yards, recording five sacks, blocking two punts, and never allowing FDU-Florham to find an offensive rhythm in a commanding 34-6 Middle Atlantic Conference road victory at Robert T. Shields Field. The Flying Dutchmen improved to 3-6 overall, and 3-5 in MAC play with the win.
LVC outgained the Devils 416-125, held FDU to just 35 rushing yards on 31 attempts, and limited the home team to 2-for-14 on third downs. The Dutchmen also finished with 21 first downs and controlled possession for more than 32 minutes.
The Lebanon Valley defense set the tone from the opening drive when
Jacob Karkoska dropped FDU quarterback Julian Matera for a 12-yard loss, forcing a three-and-out. A strong punt return by
Evan Rittle gave the Dutchmen possession at the FDU 42-yard line, but a 33-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide. The Flying Dutchmen broke through midway through the opening quarter after special teams created excellent field position. Following a sack by
Brandon Choi,
Roman Brummel blocked a punt that was recovered by
Justin Negron at the FDU 9-yard line. The Lebanon Valley offense was unable to reach the end zone, but
Connor Hazel converted a 21-yard field goal to put LVC ahead 3-0 with 4:22 remaining in the first quarter. The Dutchmen special teams unit struck again less than two minutes later. Brummel blocked another FDU punt, pinning the Devils deep in their own territory. Lebanon Valley took over at the FDU 16 and marched to the 10-yard line before Hazel drilled a 25-yard field goal with 50 seconds left in the quarter for a 6-0 advantage.
The offense found the end zone for the first time on the opening possession of the second quarter. Starting at its own 42-yard line, LVC needed only three plays to cover 58 yards. Quarterback
Owen Strouse connected with
Ethan Heisey for a 23-yard gain before
Jayden Stanfield burst through the right side, breaking a couple of tackles, for a 30-yard touchdown run. Hazel's extra point extended the lead to 13-0 with 13:45 remaining in the half. After forcing another punt, Lebanon Valley engineered one of its most impressive drives of the afternoon. Beginning at its own 7-yard line with 3:47 left in the second quarter, the Dutchmen navigated 93 yards in 11 plays. Key moments included a 15-yard pass interference penalty, an unnecessary roughness call against FDU that moved LVC into Devils territory, and an 18-yard reception by Stanfield. Facing third-and-seven at the FDU 20, Strouse kept the ball himself and raced untouched into the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown with just 37 seconds remaining before halftime. The scoring march gave the Dutchmen a 20-0 cushion at the break.
Lebanon Valley's defense continued to dominate after the intermission. Following a missed field goal on the opening drive of the third quarter, the Dutchmen forced consecutive punts and repeatedly pressured Matera.
Sheadan Makosy added a sack while Choi and the LVC defensive front continued to disrupt nearly every possession. The Dutchmen finally capitalized midway through the third quarter. Taking over at their own 46-yard line, they put together a methodical nine-play, 54-yard drive that consumed nearly five minutes. Heisey opened the possession with a 14-yard reception, Stanfield powered the ground attack with gains of eight and six yards, and Strouse found
Blake Weaver for a key third-down conversion. Stanfield finished the drive with a three-yard touchdown rush, pushing the lead to 27-0 with 1:11 left in the third quarter.
FDU-Florham got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter after a short-field opportunity. Matera connected with Kyree Drake for a 27-yard completion before the drive reached the goal line. Matera eventually scored on a one-yard quarterback keeper, but the extra-point attempt failed, leaving the score at 27-6. Any thoughts of a comeback were quickly erased by Lebanon Valley's response. Starting from its own 25-yard line, the Dutchmen answered with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Running back
Brandon Kurzeja ignited the march with runs of 18 and nine yards. Strouse then delivered a 25-yard strike to Heisey to move LVC into the red zone. Two plays later, Strouse connected with Weaver on a 17-yard touchdown pass, restoring the 28-point advantage at 34-6 with six minutes to play. The defense put the finishing touch on the victory in the closing minutes. FDU advanced into Lebanon Valley territory before
Will Jacobson intercepted a pass in the end zone for a touchback, preserving the Dutchmen's dominant afternoon.
Inside the Box
- Stanfield paced the offense with 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries while adding 30 receiving yards for 158 all-purpose yards.
- Strouse completed 13-of-23 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 28 yards and a score.
- Heisey was his favorite target, hauling in seven receptions for 104 yards, and Weaver added a touchdown catch.
- Kurzeja provided a spark late with 37 rushing yards, while Phoenix Music averaged 20.5 yards per carry and finished with 41 rushing yards on just two attempts.
- Choi was outstanding defensively with a team-high nine tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 3.5 tackles for loss.
- Karkoska added five tackles, one sack, and three tackles for loss, while Makosy contributed a sack.
- The Dutchmen totaled five sacks for 44 yards lost and nine tackles for loss while holding FDU to just 2.2 yards per offensive play.
- Special teams also played a major role, with Brummel blocking two punts that helped set up Lebanon Valley's first six points of the contest.
- The Dutchmen won their third consecutive game and have averaged 40 points per game during the winning streak
Up Next
LVC closes out the season with the annual rivalry game against Albright. The Dutchmen will host the Lions next Saturday, November 14, at Arnold Field for Senior Day. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m., with Senior Day festivities to occur prior to kickoff.
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