Millersville, Pa. - A school-record four touchdown receptions from
Kevin Wiggins and a stirring fourth quarter comeback by Millersville was spoiled with one fortunate bounce of the ball for Lock Haven. De'Vaughn Dennis caught the game-winning touchdown with just two seconds left off a ball that had been deflected off a Marauder defender, helping Lock Haven a stunning, 36-28 win.
Millersville (0-8, 0-5 PSAC) took a 28-24 lead with 5:38 to play after
J.J. Paige captained an 11-play, 75-yard drive. Paige completed 5-of-5 passes on the drive including a 29-yard strike to Wiggins, who tied Jamal Smith's school record with his fourth TD catch of the game.
The Marauder defense was up to the task on Lock Haven's next drive. The Bald Eagles reached the Millersville 14, but Shaun Jones threw a pair of incomplete passes under pressure, and
Rasheed Johnson ended the drive with a sack on fourth down. Millersville ran a little more than a minute off the clock, and Lock Haven took over on their own 43 with 2:34 left after an
Evan Stahl 35-yard punt.
Lock Haven was faced with a fourth-and-six at the 47-yard-line, but on an incomplete pass, Millersville was flagged for pass interference. Another defensive holding call and a 23-yard rush by Jones pushed the Bald Eagles to the Millersville 22.
Brandon Lopez and
Tanner Dean buried Jones with a sack on first down, and
Sene Polamalu forced Jones to throw the ball away on second and 18. With a minute to play, Lock Haven coach Dave Taynor called on back-up quarterback Cameron Tobias. On third-and-18, Tobias picked up 17 yards on a completion to Caleb Kephart. Malyk Harris converted the first down with a one-yard rush.
With seconds ticking away,
Rasheed Johnson and
Kendall Marks made a pair of outstanding defensive plays on Tobias pass attempts to put Lock Haven in third down with eight seconds left. On the third down play, Tobias' intended target was well-defended. The deflected ball popped in the air, and Dennis, running toward the play on the left sideline, grabbed the ball and managed to tap his toes in bounds for the score.
Millersville, attempting to keep the ball alive on the ensuing kickoff, lost possession. It was scooped up by Lock Haven and ran in for a touchdown with time having expired.
It was the second time this season that Millersville has lost a home game on the final possession--the first coming in the five-overtime opener against Ursinus.
J.J. Paige completed a career-high 22-of-28 passes for 183 yards and threw three touchdowns. Wiggins, who totaled 12 catches and a 150 yards, caught three from Paige and one from
Sean Quarterman. Quarterman's 56-yard bomb came on a wide receiver pass. With the toss, Quarterman joined Jamal Smith as Marauders with touchdowns passing, rushing and receiving in their careers.
Millersville battled back four times in the game, tying the game at 7-7, 14-14, 21-21 and then taking the 28-24 lead in the fourth quarter. All the TD's were scored by Wiggins. Wiggins' 12 catches were the most by a Marauder since 2013 and it was Millersville's first 100-yard receiving game of the season.
Lock Haven out-gained Millersville 448-344. Malyk Harris rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns.
Ben Ortiz led Millersville with a career-high 64 yards on 11 carries.
The Marauder defense generated four sacks with six different players having a hand in a least a half sack.
Sean Dugan notched 3.0 tackles for loss, putting his season total at 11.5.
Joey Pham intercepted a pass in the end zone in the closing seconds of the first half, preventing Lock Haven from building on a 21-14 lead.
Millersville travels to Shippensburg on Oct. 31.