MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Jack Ostrowsky threw four touchdown passes, and Lock Haven held Millersville to its fewest points of the season for a 42-7 win Saturday at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium.
Ostrowsky threw for 329 yards, connecting with Mekhi Watson on an 80-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. Lock Haven finished with 505 yards of offense. The Marauders generated 364, rushing for 190 yards.
Mekhi Ashby rushed for a team-high 83 yards.
Tommy Hunsicker started under center and rushed for a career-high 69 yards and completed 12 of 24 passes. Calieb Howse entered in the second half and went 5 for 8 for 105 yards and an interception, and rushed for 28 yards on five carries. He led Millersville's lone touchdown drive. His one-yard keeper was set-up by a short toss to
JQ Brown who bolted 76 yards into the red zone.
"Tommy is young," said Millersville interim head coach
Brian Ferguson. "He was running around, making some plays with his legs at the beginning of the game, but we missed some receivers on double moves, under threw and were late on some throws. He needs to get more experience in the offense. You are asking a young kid in his third start to be able to run the offense. We decided to give Calieb at least one series these last four games so we can evaluate him and continue to develop him for the future. These young kids have grow up, and it is hard to do that in the middle of the season."
But by the time the Marauders got on the board with 11:05 remaining, Lock Haven led 28-0. The Bald Eagles scored touchdowns on six of 11 drives and was forced to punt just twice. Millersville, meanwhile, turned the ball over on downs three times, lost two fumbles and threw an interception.
"It's the same stuff, different day," said Ferguson. "Offensively, we can move the ball up and down the field but when it is time to score points, we start having mental mistakes. The moment is too big for these kids. On defense, every week there is a busted coverage. We have to continue to coach these guys up, and I have to do a better job making sure the coaches are coaching them up the proper way and see if we can limit the number of mistakes in the last two games."
Mistakes plagued the Marauders throughout the game. In addition to finishing with a minus-three turnover ratio, they committed a season-high 13 penalties for 132 yards.
"Winning and losing is contagious," said Ferguson. "We've got to get out of this mindset and learn how to play one play, swipe, and move on to the next player. Whether it is good, bad or indifferent, you have to play the next play. We have to move on and dwell on the mistakes. The mentality right now is to dwell on the mistakes...I'm not making excuses. Culture is built in the offseason, by recruiting the vision and philosophy of the program. We are a long ways away but we are going to keep developing these kids and see how it turns out the rest of this year."
Millersville travels to East Stroudsburg for a night game on Nov. 8 before closing the season with Senior Day on Nov. 15.