Harris Has Record Day as Mounties Run Past Chestnut Hill

LAFAYETTE HILL, PA – Mansfield University freshman running back Aren Harris ran for a school sprint football record of 153 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Mountaineers to a 22-6 win over Chestnut Hill in a non-conference road game Sunday afternoon.

Harris, who ranked seventh in the CSFL coming into Sunday's action, was a workhorse all afternoon, shattering the school record of 36 carries in a game set by Jeremy Estremera against Franklin Pierce in 2012, with a remarkable 44 carry effort.

His 153 yards on the ground surpasses Mike Wallace's 144 yard effort against Penn in 2010 as the most in a game against a CSFL opponent.

While Harris was shattering offensive records, it was the Mountaineer defense that really stole the show. Mansfield dominated the game defensively, especially in the first half when they outgained Chestnut Hill 181-38 in total offense on the way to building a 9-0 halftime advantage.

Mansfield got on the board first when on the first series of the game, senior Sean Green's 42-yard punt pinned Chestnut Hill down on their own 16-yard line. The Griffiths fumbled on their first offense play of the game with the being recovered by Mansfield's Jarell Gibbs at the CH 14-yard line.

Four straight runs by Harris, the final from three-yard out, resulted in a touchdown and a 6-0 Mansfield lead after the point-after kick missed.

Chestnut Hill took its next possession and drove to the Mansfield 35 before junior Kyle Post stepped in front of a pass from quarterback Reggie Robinson and returned it 24 yards to the Mansfield 34.
Mansfield then mounted a 59-yard drive behind Harris's running along with a key 11-yard pickup on a 3rd-and-3 by freshman full back Hunter Brown and 22-yard pass to senior Joe Bucek from sophomore quarterback Justin Bennett to drive to the CH 7. The drive stalled there but freshmen Drew Beckerink drilled a 24-yard field goal to give Mansfield a 9-0 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The Mountaineer defense would allow Chestnut hill just 30 more yards of total offense in the first half. It looked as if Mansfield would score again late in the second quarter when Harris went  around the end on a first and goal from the 10. He drove for the pylon and fell into the endzone but the ball came out of his hand and was ruled a fumble and touchback.

Although the Mountaineers dominated the first half, the score didn't reflect that effort on the field with Mansfield holding just a 9-0 advantage at halftime.

Mansfield's defense rose to the task again to start the second half when senior Jonathan Badman picked off a Chestnut Hill pass at the 7-yard line setting up a first-and goal for the Mountaineers.
Three plays later, Harris tasted pay dirt for the second time in the game, this one coming off a 1-yard plunge. Mansfield held a 15-0 lead of the extra-point kick failed.

It looked as if Mansfield would blow the game wide open when a Chestnut Hill fumble was recovered by John Capwell giving the Mountaineers a 1st-and-10 at the Chestnut Hill 27.
Mansfield's offense stalled after three incompletes and a penalty, turning the ball back over to Chestnut Hill.

Mansfield held Chestnut to a three-and-out on then next possession and took over at the Chestnut Hill 36 after a nine-yard punt. Freshman Hunter Brown finished off the seven-play drive with a 6-yard run and 22-0 lead after the extra-point attempt was good with 6:27 remaining in the third quarter.

Chestnut Hill came back with its best drive of the day but it came to a halt when Badman picked off his second pass, this one in the end zone and give Mansfield the ball at its own 20.

However on the first play from scrimmage, Harris fumbled and it was recovered and returned for a touchdown by Chestnut Hill's Alex Rivera from 15-yards out cutting the score to 22-6 after the PAT failed.
Mansfield mounted an immediate drive of its own going 42-yards on 6-plays to the Chestnut Hill 4-yard line before Bennett's pass into the end zone was intercepted.

Neither team would penetrate the red-zone in the fourth quarter earning Mansfield its first win of the season after losses to Cornell and Navy.

Mansfield racked up a season-best 302 yards in total offense while holding an opponent to a season-low 137 yards including just 54 on the ground.

In addition to Harris's record-setting performance, Brown ran for 23 yards on three carries. Quarterback Austin Bennett has his most productive outing as a Mountie completing 12-of-22 attempts for 118 yards while being intercepted just once.

Joe Bucek and Danny Diaz-Walton had four catches each for 58 and 30 yards respectively. Green had two grabs for 18 yards.

The Mountaineer offense line did not allow a sack all afternoon after giving up nine sacks in loss to Navy last week.

Defensive linemen Evan Ruggles and Jarell Gibbs each recorded a team-high six tackles in the game with linebackers John Capwell and Dylan Flexer adding five each. Badman had two picks on the afternoon, with Spencer Underdown and Kyle Post each picking off a pass.

Desantae Callis led Chestnut Hills running game with 26 yards on eight carries while Reginald Robinson and Theophilus McBurnett combined to complete 8-of-30 passes for 83 yards while being picked off four times.

Mansfield improves to 1-2 on the season and host Army West Point next Saturday night as part of Mansfield's Family & Friends/LUMA in a game broadcasted on ESPN 3.