Lehigh Valley college football: ESU opens up passing game
The East Stroudsburg University football team has leaned on its PSAC-best ground game all season.
The Warriors proved Saturday that opponents should consider them run-reliant at their own risk.
Quarterback Sean McTaggart and wide receiver John Siggins, a Parkland High graduate, led ESU's air assault in a 45-0 win over Shippensburg. McTaggart threw for a career-high 415 yards and four touchdowns. Siggins caught all four of McTaggart's TD tosses en route to an eight-catch, 239-yard afternoon.
Northampton High graduate Tyrese Brandon added a career-best 110 receiving yards as the Warriors showed the passing potential coach Jimmy Terwilliger touted before the season.
"We work every day on the passing game, so we were just taking what the defense was giving us," Siggins said by phone Tuesday. "It was great to see all of us come together. I know Sean McTaggart would like to throw for 400 yards every game, because he can do that. I think it was great to finally showcase that ability.
"That just puts another things in defensive coaches' heads. Like, 'If we take away the run, they'll still be able to pass on us.' So, it's just another element to our offense."
Siggins' presence was a prime reason Terwilliger felt good about the state of ESU's passing game when the 2024 season started. Siggins earned a spot on the all-PSAC East second team as a junior, topping the Warriors with 442 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions. His production helped ESU earn its first NCAA Division II playoff berth since 2009.
Siggins' monster game against Shippensburg pushed his 2024 totals to 29 catches, 576 yards and eight touchdown catches. He established an ESU single-half record of 205 receiving yards in the first half Saturday.
Siggins has starred while handling the demands of being a nursing major. He often does clinical shifts on Sundays or Mondays plus 2-3 classes during the week.
"Scheduling-wise it's tough," he said. "But it shows how much these people care at ESU with the nursing department. Dr. Varcoe, she does my scheduling, and she looks at my football schedule, what I need, and plans around it. The same thing with Coach 'Twigs'. They're all very lenient. If I need to miss things, they know I'll make it up in the end.
"You've got to stay on top of your work and study for those big classes; that's all you really need to do," he added. "And then show up for clinicals and be ready to work."
ESU has work ahead of it to reach its goal of returning to the Division II playoffs. The Warriors face Shepherd and Clarion in their final two regular-season games. If they win both, they're likely headed back to the postseason.
ESU hasn't secured consecutive playoff berths since 2004-05, when Terwilliger was in the midst of his record-setting career as the Warriors' quarterback. Siggins would love for his final season to change that.
"The big thing that's changed since Coach 'Twigs' took over is just the culture," Siggins said. "I think the culture has gotten better every single year, and that's the product of what we're putting out right now.
"Our core values are, 'work hard, compete, and do it right.' We live those core values every day, and you're just starting to see the product of that. We take no days off, and we all care about each other."
Here's a look at this week's games.
West Chester (4-5 overall, 4-2 PSAC East) at Kutztown (9-0, 6-0)
When:
Taking note: Kutztown has allowed only nine touchdowns through nine games. The Golden Bears top the PSAC in scoring defense at 7.8 points per game. ... West Chester quarterback Cooper Jordan ranks second in the PSAC with 926 rushing yards. He has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last five games ... Kutztown has climbed to No. 3 in the latest AFCA Division II coaches poll.
Shepherd (5-4 overall, 3-3 PSAC East) at East Stroudsburg (8-1, 5-1)
When:
Taking note: ESU has started 8-1 for the second straight season. It's the first time the Warriors have done so since 1965-66. ... ESU tops the PSAC in scoring at 36.2 points per game. It has scored the most touchdowns (42) and field goals (11) in the league. ... Shepherd has dropped three of its last four games after a 4-1 start.
Muhlenberg (5-3 overall, 3-2 Centennial Conference) at Franklin & Marshall (5-3, 2-2)
When:
Taking note: Muhlenberg scored a season-low 13 points in Saturday's loss at Johns Hopkins. It was the first time this season the Mules didn't score at least 33 points. ... Joe Repetti became the top rushing quarterback in Muhlenberg history in Saturday's loss. He has 1,494 career rushing yards. ... Franklin & Marshall is tied for the Centennial Conference lead in scoring defense at 12.6 points per game. It has allowed only 11 touchdowns in eight games.
Lycoming (4-4 overall, 2-2 Landmark Conference) at Moravian (5-3, 3-1)
When:
Taking note: Moravian quarterback Jared Jenkins (Freedom) established career highs with 35 completions and 57 pass attempts in Saturday's loss to Susquehanna. He also threw five touchdown passes, giving him a program-record 54 for his career. ... Lycoming's Terrence Oliver ranks third in the Landmark Conference with 906 rushing yards. He's averaging 6.0 yards per carry. ... Moravian's Malachi McNeil-Harrison, a Bethlehem native, ranks second in the conference with 9.5 tackles for loss.
Stephen Miller is a freelance writer.
