Football Explodes For Seven TD’s in 47-16 Rout of Millersville
Box Score
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. (Sept. 7, 2013) - On Saturday, the LIU Post football team kicked off the 2013 campaign with a 47-16 triumph versus former PSAC East rival Millersville at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium in Millersville, Pa. Red-shirt junior quarterback Steven Laurino (Boise, Idaho) led the offensive charge for the Pioneers with two passing touchdowns, and one rushing score.
The Marauders (0-1) earned the first points of the contest with 6:12 left in the opening quarter. A snap sailed over the head of sophomore Tim Sternfeld (Wyckoff, N.J.) on a punt attempt. Sternfeld subsequently sent the ball out of the end zone for a safety, making it a 2-0 game, which was the hosts' only lead of the afternoon.
Though Millersville held that slight two-point edge for the entire first quarter, LIU Post answered with a furious scoring frenzy in the second. Four-plus minutes into the quarter, Laurino put the Pioneers in front, as he scampered 48 yards down the sideline for the go-ahead touchdown. Later on, the Boise product hooked up with red-shirt senior Joe Botti (Holtsville, N.Y.) for a 21-yard score to extend the lead to 12-2. The drive showcased three Botti catches for 66 net yards.
The Marauders managed to close the gap to three points (12-9) at the 2:57 mark, on their first touchdown of the contest. But, the Pioneers (1-0) struck once more in the final seconds. This time, it was a one-yard punch-in over the goal line by senior running back Anthony Brunetti (Bayville, N.Y.) that accounted for the TD.
In the third stanza, the visitors put the game out of reach, notching touchdowns on two of their three drives. Botti and Brunetti were the catalysts once again. On the first six-point score, Botti caught a four-yard pass from Laurino in the back of the end zone. Shortly thereafter, Brunetti rushed 28 yards for his second TD of the day.
Senior Jeff Mack (Bronx, N.Y.) and red-shirt freshman Mike Williams (Westbury, N.Y.) wrapped up LIU Post's scoring for the day in the final quarter with a 36-, and seven-yard rush, respectively. Mack finished the game with 11 rushes for 85 yards. Brunetti totaled four carries for 33 yards. Williams took five handoffs for 20 yards.
In the passing game, Laurino completed 22-of-31 for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Botti had seven receptions for a game-high 103 yards and both scores through the air.
Defensively, senior linebacker Rob Bright (East Meadow, N.Y.) paced the two squads with 12 tackles. Red-shirt freshman defensive back James Rupp (Sayville, N.Y.) made 10 tackles. Sophomore linebacker Julian Santiago (Selden, N.Y.) accrued nine tackles and forced a fumble.
Head Coach Bryan Collins and the Pioneers return to action next Saturday (Sept. 14), when they begin the home portion of their 2013 slate against Northeast-10 Conference rival Southern Connecticut State. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.