Football Upsets #18 Hampden-Sydney, 33-21

October 25, 2008

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA-- Ryan McManus (Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep) grabbed seven catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns, as CUA upset No. 18 ranked Hampden-Sydney on the road Saturday, 33-21.

Keith Ricca (Poolesville, Md./St. John's Prospect Hall) passed for 392 yards on 29 completions and four touchdowns.  Ricca completed passes to six different receivers, with five of those receivers grabbing at least two passes.

Greg Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Malvern Prep) opened the scoring with nine minutes left in the first quarter on a one yard run.  That run capped a six play, 25 yard drive that took only two minutes off the clock.  CUA had extraordinary field position on that drive due to a nine yard sack on the previous third down by Dean Petrone (Hamilton, N.J./The Hun School) that pinned the hosts on their own one yard line.

Hampden-Sydney then knotted the game at seven with a four play, 55-yard drive with 2:52 left in the first quarter.

The Cardinals then broke the game open, scoring on their next two possessions, making the score 21-7 with 10:10 left in the second quarter.

At the half, the Cardinals led 27-14 and traded possessions for most of the second half. With 8:20 left in the third quarter Hampden-Sydney scored for a final time, closing the Cardinal lead to six, but CUA answered early in the fourth with another Ricca passing touchdown extending their lead to 12.

While CUA was outdone in most statistical catigories, the Cardinals held Hampden-Sydney to only two of thirteen on third down, and zero of four on fourth down.

This win snapped a seven-game losing streak to Hampden-Sydney, and CUA is one step closer to an ODAC Championship.  The Cardinals will now control their own destiny as they look to continue their winning ways on Saturday, November 1st again on the road at Emory & Henry.