LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Red zone execution was the difference in Lock Haven's 24-23 win over Millersville Saturday afternoon. Millersville received a career-high 172 rushing yards from Jaiden Abrams, but the Marauders scored touchdowns on just two of six red zone opportunities, opening the door for the Bald Eagles to rally.
 
Millersville scored on each of their first four possessions, building a 20-7 lead late in the second quarter. Millersville piled up 173 rushing yards and 266 total yards while converting 6-of-8 third downs in the first half alone. But despite Millersville intercepting Lock Haven quarterback Jason Ostrowsky twice in the second half, the Bald Eagles still went on a 17-3 run, culminating in an Ostrowsky to Justin Popovich touchdown connection on a fourth down with 4:23 to play.
 
Millersville turned Ostrowsky's two interceptions into three points, and Lock Haven's lone defensive turnover, a third-quarter interception, led directly to a touchdown that cut Millersville's lead to 20-17. Millersville missed two field goal attempts—one from 36 early in the fourth quarter and the potential game-winner from 37 with 1:56 to play.
 

FB: Zeltt to Lopez...On board! pic.twitter.com/CLnRNAF4fV

— Millersville Marauders (@VilleMarauders) September 28, 2024

 
"We have to close some drives out there," said Millersville head coach J.C. Morgan. "That was the difference, having to settle for threes instead of sixes, and the two missed field goals coming up empty. In the first half, we had a couple of trips that we didn't get in. I thought we had a complete pass for a TD once that was called incomplete. We gave up three cheap points at the half. We had our chances. We came out ready to play. We are getting closer to putting together a complete game of football. We had some opportunities but didn't take advantage. That's the story of the game."
 
While Millersville struggled to convert when it mattered most, Lock Haven executed two, key fourth-down conversions on what was the game-winning drive. With fewer than six minutes to play and trailing 23-17, penalties left the Bald Eagles facing a third-and-26 from midfield. A completion set up a fourth-and-8. Millersville brought pressure from the edge but Ostrowsky escaped up the middle for a 22-yard scramble to the 10. A holding penalty on Lock Haven at the end of the play pushed the chains back to the 20. Ostrowsky misfired on the next three plays, bringing up fourth-and-10 with 4:23 on the clock. With the game on the line, Ostrowsky found Popovich on a post route in the center of the end zone. Tony NiCassio added the PAT for the lead. It was a 14-play, 72-yard drive that consumed more than five minutes of clock.
 
Millersville had already called Abrams' number 23 times, and his 24^th carry of the game gave the Marauders new life. On the first snap of the ensuing drive, Abrams gashed the middle of Lock Haven's defense for 36 yards to the Lock Haven 39. A horse-collar tackle gave Millersville 15 more yards. But the drive stalled. Back-to-back rushes netted four yards, and Jahmel Flowers sacked Zeltt on third-and-6, leaving Trent McDowell with a 37-yard field goal attempt that missed wide right.
Millersville had one last chance to get the ball back, but an off-sides penalty on third-and-6 made Lock Haven's conversion much more makeable. And with just over a minute remaining, Damir Green broke through Millersville tacklers in the backfield and bounced around the right end for a five-yard gain. Two kneel downs were all that remained for Lock Haven to seal the win.
 
"Lock Haven made the plays," said Morgan. "They did a good job of taking advantage of the openings. Credit to them. They are a good team. They've played some of the better teams in the West close. We knew it was going to be a dog fight."
 
Abrams' totaled one fewer carry and more yards on Saturday than he had in his first three seasons combined. Jose Lopez also contributed 80 yards rushing on 14 carries and caught three passes for 39 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown catch on Millersville's first scoring drive. Abrams totaled the most rushing yards by a Marauder since Oct. 14, 2023, and it was the most rushing yards for Millersville since week four of the 2023 season.
 
"Jaiden ran the ball very well today," said Morgan. "Jaiden is a guy we know can be productive in that role. We know he can thrive in it. He's finally healthy. We feel like we have multiple backs who can go out and produce. Today was his day. We have multiple guys who can have those types of days and run the ball."
 
Zeltt, who played in the second half of last week's game against IUP, made his first start of the season and completed 16-of-23 passes for 154 yards. He threw two touchdown passes in the first half—one to Lopez and one to Hakim Melvin. He helped Millersville record a season-high in points, yards and first downs.
 
"Zeltt made some good throws," said Morgan. "Of course, there were some you wish didn't happen. But he handled himself pretty well."
 

FB: We'll take that. pic.twitter.com/J4PRzDUxEs

— Millersville Marauders (@VilleMarauders) September 28, 2024

 
Gus Ross led Millersville with eight tackles, and he recorded his first interception of the season. Nick Romano tallied Millersville's other interception. The two came on back-to-back pass attempts from Ostrowsky.
 
"Overall, we were one point short," said Morgan. "That's the unfortunate part. We are closer. I'm proud of how they played today and how they attacked the week of practices, having the right mindset to handle adversity. I hurt for them right now because they put it on the line, but if we keep improving upon it we are going to have more opportunities, and I like our chances.

UP NEXT
Millersville has back-to-back home games against East Stroudsburg on Oct. 5 and Shippensburg on Oct. 12.