RADNOR, Pa.— Eastern University Football ran for five touchdowns and held the visiting Lebanon College Dutchmen to 132 yards of offense on the way to a 32-0 MAC win.
Jeremiah Avrilien ran for 124 yards and three scores and
Brett Nabb threw for 102 yards and ran for 51 as the Eagles gained 347 yards while throwing the ball only nine times.
The Eagles (2-1, 2-0) started the game with a drive deep into LVC territory, but a holding penalty nullified an Avrilien touchdown run and put the Eagles behind the sticks.
John Nolek suffered an injury on a 28-yard field goal attempt and the game stayed tied. The Eastern defense held and the Eagles started a second long march. The Eagles, who were perfect in the red zone coming into the game, moved through the LVC defense with runs from Nabb and Avrilien and seemed to scored on a n eight-yard pass to
Curtis Johnson, but another holding penalty put the Eagles behind the sticks again with a third down from the 18 yard line.
With Nolek out for the day,
Devon Johnson came up with what might have been the play of the game. The senior wide receiver caught a ball in the left flat, reversed his direction, and headed across the field. He picked up blocks along the way and gained ground until getting knocked out of bounds at the two-yard line. With a manageable distance, Avrilien took a direct snap and found the endzone for the 27th time in his career.
Luke Wheeler took the extra-point, but his first collegiate kick hit high on the right upright and came pack past the line of scrimmage.
The Dutchmen (0-3, 0-2) made a first down, but no more.
Chris Rivera set up the next drive with a 20-yard punt return. Avrilen had the big play in the drive with a 27-yard run and finished with a one-yard run to double the Eastern lead. The Eagles two-point try failed.
Up 12-0, Eastern went to the break feeling they had left some points on the table. They delivered a dominating third quarter to secure enough margin. After a defensive stop, Nabb completed a deep ball to Rivera to get the Eagles into the red zone. Avrilien converted with a seven-yard run just over seven minutes to play in the period.
The senior running back notched his fourth three-score game at Radnor Street Road. Today was his tenth-career 100-yard game.
On the next LVC sequence,
Shemar Irvin broke up a pass on 3rd-and-7 to force a three-and out. With Avrilien off the field, Rivera capped the next Eastern drive with a four-yard scamper to put Eastern up 25-0.
After a
Chris Forte interception and 36-yard return,
Eric Smith capped the Eastern scoring with a three-yard score midway through the fourth. It was Forte's second-career interception. The Eagles ended the game with
Jeremiah Norwood taking a knee at the LVC goal line.
Curtis Johnson had just one punt on the day and the Eagles did not have a turnover.
DonJuan Clark III and
Sam Scell each finished with nine tackles to lead a defensive unit that played a penalty-free game and picked up the second shutout in program history.
Eastern is at Delaware Valley next weekend. The Aggies are also 2-0 in the league after beating Lebanon Valley in Annville and Albright in Doylestown today.
