They came, they saw, they conquered. 

The Shippensburg University football team dominated every facet of the game on its way to a 40-0 win over East Stroudsburg University on Saturday in its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division opener at Eiler-Martin Stadium. The Red Raiders’ prolific offense poured on 704 yards of total offense in the victory.

The Red Raiders, (4-0, 1-0 PSAC East), wasted no time taking a 6-0 lead after senior quarterback Ryan Zapoticky found wide receiver Winston Eubanks streaking down the sideline for a 74-yard touchdown with 5:49 left in the opening quarter. Kicker Billy Deane’s extra point was sent back off the cross bar to keep it a 6-0 game.

The Red Raiders never looked back.

The SU rushing attack proved to be too much for the Warriors to handle as the Red Raiders punished East Stroudsburg, (1-3, 0-1 PSAC East), for 334 rushing yards. Graduate running back Colin McDermott found the end zone three times on the ground in the victory, while junior Marcus Lominy also punched in a rushing touchdown.

The team’s early success is exactly what SU head coach Mark Maciejewski was looking for, as he preached playing a full four quarters of football to his team this week, as well as starting the game fast.

“That was our goal and we were able to do that,” Maciejewski said. “I’m really proud of our guys. Offensively we were able to score points and did so on some long drives, and I’m really proud of the defense not giving up any points this week.”

With 2:04 remaining in the opening quarter, McDermott scampered past the left side of a charging Warrior defense to punch in his first touchdown of the night from 15 yards out. The extra point attempted by backup kicker Larry Eimer was blocked, giving SU a 12-0 lead.

In the second quarter SU added rushing touchdowns by McDermott and Lominy of 12 and three yards, respectively, to give SU a 26-0 lead.

Wasting no time after the break, SU added another touchdown on its opening possession, as McDermott burst through the East Stroudsburg line, running untouched into the end zone thanks to some great blocking. 

It was a career day for McDermott, who finished with a career-high 121 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries.

“It really helped having the coaches scheme up their defense all week,” McDermott said. “The scout team on defense did a great job of matching their defense so we knew what to expect. It’s a lot of fun to run behind our offensive line.”

In the final minutes of the third quarter, Zapoticky found Eubanks once again, this time for a 47-yard touchdown on a post pattern as Eubanks blew through the Warrior secondary on his way to his PSAC-leading fifth touchdown of the season.

Despite making just two receptions in the game, Eubanks made the most of them, finishing with 121 yards and two scores.

Zapoticky demonstrated his senior leadership by throwing for 370 yards and two scores. With the standout day, Zapoticky has now thrown for more than 300 yards in all four games for the Red Raiders this season, and has thrown for 1,319 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception. He is currently second in the PSAC in passing yards and touchdowns.

“It was a great team win,” Zapoticky said. “It was our first game in the East so we wanted to bring the energy today and we did that. We matched their energy and exceeded it. It’s great to be 4-0 going back to Seth Grove.”

The 704 total yards of offense is fifth most in school history, and with an extremely successful rushing attack and Zapoticky staying upright the entire game, it was evident that the Red Raider offensive line was winning in the trenches.

“They did a great job picking up the blitz and keeping me healthy,” Zapoticky said. “The running backs had great opportunities and the offensive line was pushing them into the second level. Whenever you can do that, I know our running backs are very talented so they will make them pay.”

While SU’s offense dominated, the defense had an impressive game, limiting East Stroudsburg’s electric running back Jaymar Anderson — who rushed for more than 100 yards in each of ESU’s three previous games — to just eight yards. The Red Raider defense finished with eight tackles for loss. SU has posted back-to-back shutouts, and it was the first time ESU had been shutout in 17 years.

With the three-game road trip in the books, The Red Raiders look forward to returning to Seth Grove Stadium with no blemishes.

“It’s been a long road trip around Pennsylvania these last three weeks,” Maciejewski said. “We’re really excited about getting home.”

The win was Maciejewski’s 50th as head coach of his alma mater. He is now 50-22.

The Red Raiders, (4-0, 1-0 PSAC East), host Lock Haven University (0-4, 0-1 PSAC East), Saturday at 1 p.m.

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