KUTZTOWN — Senior quarterback Tyson Bagent (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg) completed 30-of-41 passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns to lead Division II fifth-ranked Shepherd (4-0) to a 42-35 win over Kutztown (2-2) in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football action Saturday
Darryl Davis-McNeil scored on a 5-yard run with 9:50 left in the first quarter as Kutztown took a 7-0 lead.
Shepherd tied the game when redshirt sophomore cornerback Klayton Batten (Waldorf, Md./St. Charles) picked off a Kutztown pass and ran 28 yards for a touchdown with 54 seconds left in the first quarter. Redshirt sophomore kicker Jacob Haynie (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) added the extra point.
Kutztown took a 14-7 lead when David Blaine tossed a 22-yard scoring pass to Jerome Kapp with 10:23 left in the second quarter.
The Golden Bears upped their lead to 21-7 when Blaine and Kapp teamed on a 50-yard scoring pass with 8:41 left in the half.
Shepherd answered back when junior running back Ronnie Brown (Baltimore, Md./Dundalk) fielded the kickoff in the end zone and weaved his way for a 100-yard touchdown return with 8:26 left to cut the lead to 21-14.
Shepherd opened the second half scoring as Bagent tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Ryan Beach (Frederick, Md./Northwest) with 9:45 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 21-all.
Blaine fired a five-yard scoring pass to Alex McKenzie with 14:57 left in the fourth quarter to give the Golden Bears a 28-21 advantage.
Bagent scored on an 8-yard run with 11:02 left in regulation to tie the score.
Bagent tossed a 3-yard scoring pass to senior fullback/tight end Michael McCook (Hagerstown, Md./South Hagerstown) with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter to give the Rams a 35-28 lead.
Kutztown tied the game on a 3-yard run by Davis-McNeil with 2:38 remaining.
Bagent then fired a 70-yard scoring strike to junior wide receiver Marlon Cook (Forestville, Md./Potomac) with 1:41 left in regulation to lift the Rams to victory.
Kutztown drove down the field and faced a fourth-and-18 at the Shepherd 33-yard line with 26 seconds left when senior defensive end Kyle Smith (Sterling, Va./Dominion) sacked Blaine and forced a fumble that was recovered by redshirt freshman defensive lineman Nathan Muhle (Harpers Ferry, W.Va./Jefferson) to seal the win.
Blaine completed 25-of-34 passes for 390 yards and three scores for Kutztown.
Davis-McNeil led all rushers with 27 carries for 67 yards.
Cook led the Shepherd receivers with nine catches for 212 yards. Senior tight end Brian Walker (Clarksburg, Md./Clarksburg) added seven receptions for 89 yards. Kapp had eight catches for 170 yards and a pair of scores for the Golden Bears.
Shepherd had 467 yards of total offense, while Kutztown totaled 493.
The Rams return to action on Saturday when they travel to Shippensburg for a 1 p.m. contest.
