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POST GAME HIGHLIGHTS AND INTERVIEWS

LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis Football team rallied from 18 points down in the fourth quarter to earn a 50-49 win against Morehead State Saturday.
 
Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) rushed for a school record 346 yards for and a Red Flash record five scores to lead SFU past Morehead State in the Flashes' home opener. Harbridge's 346 net rushing yards are the most by any running back in any level of college football this season. The Eagles looked in control in the fourth quarter with a 19-point lead but Saint Francis railed back behind three touchdown runs from Harbridge, the last gave the Flash the lead with 1:28 left.
 
“I'm so proud of these kids here today,” head coach Chris Villarrial said. “They did not give up and they kept fight and they learned it takes four quarter to win a football game and they did it here today.”
 
The two teams set the stage early for a high scoring affair early, the Red Flash (1-2, 0-1) and the Eagles (1-2, 0-0) combined for 63 first half points. Morehead State held the slight, 35-28, edge at the intermission thanks to a 21-yard touchdown grab by Cory Jackson just before the half.
 
Morehead State extended its lead in the second half on it first position with a 28-yard touchdown grab by Donte Sawyer from backup quarterback Boone Goldsmith. Goldsmith replaced starter Zach Lewis in the second stanza, after Lewis took a hard hit late in the first half. The Eagles then stretched their advantage to 49-28 on a touchdown run from Desmond Cox with 8:22 left in the third quarter.
 
The Red Flash chipped into the Eagle advantage prior to the start of the fourth thanks to a 36-yard field goal from Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) with 4:57 left in the third. At the start of the fourth quarter Morehead State still held an 18 point advantage.
 
The biggest catalyst for the fourth quarter turnaround was the defense which posted an early stop and gave the Saint Francis offense the ball deep in its own territory. Harbridge quickly turn the defensive stop into points with an 83-yard touchdown run on the first play of the possession. The run was the second 80-plus yard touchdown run for Harbridge on the day, his first went for a school record 94-yards.
 
The defense continued to make big plays and posted four turnovers in the final 15 minutes after not recording one in the first 45. Harbridge made it a one score game with his fourth touchdown of the day at the 10:24 mark of the fourth quarter. However late in the fourth quarter Morehead State was down to the Saint Francis 16 looking to seal the game when Jakob DeMedal forced a fumble to give SFU the ball back with 3:05 left on the clock.
 
John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) and Anthony Howze (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) went to work, first with two short passes along the sideline but then the senior from upper Marlboro, Md. made a huge play. Kelly hit Howze for what looked like his third short catch of the drive, Howze then shook off his defender and went 50 yards down the sideline to get the Red Flash into the red zone. Harbridge finished off the drive with a 10 yard touchdown run up the gut to give SFU the lead 50-49.
 
Morehead State still had 1:21 to drive the field for a winning field goal and once again in the fourth quarter the pressure fell to the SFU defense. After forcing the Eagles into a 4th-and-10, Calvin Bain (Rochester, N.Y./East) picked off his second pass of the afternoon to seal the win for the Flash.    
 
Saint Francis returns to action next week for just the second ever night game at DeGol field as the Flash welcome conference rival Duquesne to Lorretto for a 7 p.m. kick.