Kutztown University Athletics

 

As part of the 100th Season of KU Football in 2015, KU will be releasing its All-Time Greatest Moments of the First 100 Seasons. Moments will be released throughout the season at home games through game programs and PA announcements, and at road games through on-air broadcasts on KUR. After their release, all moments will be added to this page.

  
1895. They like Foot Ball. When football began on Normal Hill in 1895, the games and opponents looked drastically different than what Golden Bear fans are used to today. Keystone State went 5-0 in that first season, being declared county champions by the Kutztown Patriot after a 10-4 win over Reading High School late in the year. Wins were also turned in against Pottstown (twice), Allentown and Hockendauqua.

November 14, 1903. KU's Oldest Rivalry is Born. Kutztown and Millersville first met in 1903, a 16-0 Millersville win. Millersville is Kutztown's oldest rival as the teams have met 88 times entering the 2015 season, with the Marauders holding a 57-28-3 advantage.

1905. Ely Becomes First Head Coach. George B. Ely became the school's first full-time head coach in 1905. Ely, who was a standout player and coach for all Keystone men's teams, led football to a 6-3 record in his first season.

1906. Football program dropped due to injuries. Football was dropped by Keystone State Normal School prior to the 1906 season after two players suffered life-threatening injuries the previous year. The injury issue was part of a larger national dilemma, as 74 football players died from in-game injuries between 1900 and 1905

1923. Second era of football began with the program's reinstatement. Major rule changes to open up the game and protect the players would be enforced long before the Normal school would again field a team in 1923. Under captain Harold Runyeon, Keystone finished 5-3 that year against mostly high school and club teams.

1936. University Field is constructed. Kutztown began to play in its new stadium in 1936, when University Field was constructed. Previous field locations included the current site of Schaeffer Auditorium on Kutztown Rd.

1938. Fiorindo "Beauty" DeMatteo - Kutztown's first All-American. The newly tabbed, "Golden Avalanche" were led by the program's first true superstar, Fiorindo "Beauty" DeMatteo. Kutztown's initial first team Associated Press Little All-American, DeMatteo passed, ran, punted and kicked while leading his teams to a 16-8-4 record during his tenure.

1940. Bob McCullough's Record Return. More than 70 years ago, KU's Bob McCullough returned an interception for a school-record 95 yards that still stands today. It was his last football game at Kutztown before being inducted into the Army Air Corps in 1941.

1943-45. Team Suspended for World War II. As was the case with many college programs, KSTC football was put on hiatus from 1943–45 as many of the Kutztown men proudly served their country during World War II.

1946. Team Reinstated after World War II. KU Hall of Famer Walt Risley, who was known mostly as a baseball and basketball coach at Kutztown, coached the football team to a 3-4 record as his only year as head coach.

1951-54. Gene Blue Sets Rushing Record. Gene Blue received All-PSAC honors in each of his four seasons at Kutztown. He was the Co-Oustanding Freshman in 1951, and finished his career as the school's all-time leading rusher. He was inducted into Kutztown's Hall of Fame in 1985.

1960. Here come the Golden Bears. A dual name change to the Kutztown State College Golden Bears would launch the coach Bud Heilman era in 1960. Conference win-loss records also appeared that year for the first time.

1962-64. Two Winning Seasons in Three Years. The Golden Bears posted two winning seasons in a three-year span in 1962 and 1964, the first in 10 years. KU went 5-3 in 1962 and 4-3-1 in 1964, both under head coach Bud Heilman. Tony Cipriano was a two-time All-PSAC defensive tackle and a 1964 AP Little All-American.

September 22, 1973. George Baldwin Earns First of Many Wins. Baldwin won his first career game as the head coach at Kutztown with a 31-10 win over Shippensburg State. Baldwin spent 14 seasons at the helm of the Golden Bears and is the school's all-time winningest coach with 61 wins.

January 18, 1976. Doug Dennison appears in first of two career Super Bowls. Dennison played in two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, winning his first title in 1977. Dennison opened the doors to the NFL when he joined the Dallas Cowboys' roster in 1974. A member of KU's Hall of Fame, Dennison was a running back with "America's Team" during the glory years of Coach Tom Landry and Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach.

1976. Bruce Harper Becomes KU's First 1,000-Yard Rusher. Harper ran for a then school-record 1,132 yards in 1976, marking the program's first 1,000-year single-season rusher. He is one of seven Golden Bears to now run for 1,000 and currently ranks fourth. Harper went on to sign with the New York Jets in the late 1970s and holds the team's all-time yardage record as a kick returner.

1977. School-Record for Wins. Kutztown set the school-record for wins in a season with its 7-2 record in 1977. KU opened the year with a 29-27 win over Shippensburg State, earned wins over East Stroudsburg State, Glassboro State, Cheyney State, Bloomsburg State and Mansfield State, and closed the year with a 46-0 shutout over Kean.

1980. Shaver Scores Again. Running back Don Shaver closed his career and continues to hold the school's career rushing touchdown record with 33 from 1977-80. He also graduated with single-season and career records in rushing attempts, rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns.

November 8, 1980. Kutztown State Wins First PSAC East title. With its 33-0 win over Mansfield State in the regular season finale, Kutztown State finished in a three way tie with East Stroudsburg and Millersville for the Eastern Division title. The Conference Championship Committee gave Kutztown the nod to play Clarion State in the title game, the first-ever championship appearance for the Golden Bears. Kutztown lost a tough defensive struggle, 15-14.

November 22, 1980. Mertz Steps Up for School-Record 31 Tackles. In the 1980 Pennsylvania Conference Championship Game, junior linebacker Larry Mertz turned in the best game of his career with a school-record 31 tackles, nine solo and 22 assisted.

April 30, 1985. Buffalo Bills Select Andre Reed in NFL Draft. Andre Reed was selected in the fourth round (86th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft. He went on to play 15 seasons for the Bills from 1985-99 and was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection. He is one of three Golden Bears to be selected in the NFL Draft.

1991-94. Andre Reed Appears in Four Straight Super Bowls. Reed helped lead the Buffalo Bills to four straight AFC Championships and four Super Bowl appearances. Despite not being able to win the big one, Reed closed his career as an All-Pro wide receiver, Buffalo's all-time leader in receiving yards, a Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame inductee in 2006, and a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2014.

October 5, 1991. Breault Tosses School-Record Seven TD Passes. When Andy Breault left the game against Bloomsburg in the third quarter, the junior had thrown seven touchdown passes, setting a PSAC record, in Kutztown's 67-19 victory. He was 25 for 33 for 359 yards.

November 16, 1991. KU Takes Down Division I-AA Liberty. Kutztown defeated Liberty, a tough Division I-AA team, on the road 17-16 in the final game that offensive superstars Mark Steinmeyer and Andy Breault played together. These were two of the most explosive players in school history. Steinmeyer, a KU Hall of Famer, graduated with 14 school records. Breault held 17 school records. Both have seven career school records each.

October 29, 1994. Chuck Roseberry Plays for Golden Bears at 46 Years Old. The 1994 squad would attract national attention for an unusual reason. KU defensive lineman Chuck Roseberry, at age 46, became the oldest player in college football history to play in a game that year.

November 4, 1995. Five-Tool Player. This was John Mobley's next to last game in a Golden Bear uniform. It was his best. Mobley finished with 17 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery, two kick returns for 58 yards and two rushing touchdowns. His performance helped KU down West Chester for just the fourth time in 44 meetings. If there is such a thing as a one-man show in football, Mobley was just that on November 4, 1995.

April 20, 1996. John Mobley Drafted in First Round of NFL Draft. Mobley, who played for the Golden Bears from 1991-95, was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. He remains the only player in PSAC history to be selected in the first round.  Named to several All-America and All-Conference teams while at Kutztown, Mobley tallied 387 tackles in his four years with the Golden Bears. 

November 9, 1996. Darrien Peoples Eclipses 3,000 Career Rushing Yards. Peoples ran for 35 times for 170 yards in a 21-14 win over California (PA), eclipsing 3,000 rushing yards for his career. He closed his career the following week against West Chester, and posted his 11th straight 100+ yard rushing game, set the school's single-season rushing mark at 1,393, and closed his career as the school's all-time leading rusher at 3,156.

2000-01. Alex Daecher Named, Then Repeats as Academic All-American. Linebacker Alex Daecher became the first player in program history to be named an Academic All-American by CoSIDA in 2000. He then repeated that honor in 2001 with his second Second Team honor. He was also a First Team All-District honoree both years.

November 9, 2002. Gammage and Mendez Set Records. Stephen Gammage rushed for a PSAC record-tying five touchdowns, and Pete Mendez hauled in a school-record four interceptions in a KU win over Cheyney. In doing so, Mendez also set the career record for interceptions at 21.

December 13, 2002. Andre Reed Inducted into Division II Hall of Fame. Reed played for the Golden Bears from 1981-84, wore the number 88 and is one of two KU players to be inducted into the Division II Hall of Fame.

September 3, 2005. Let's Play Two (or Four). In a game that neither team wanted to lose and didn't seem like either would figure out how to win, Clarion eventually came out on top, 29-23, after a PSAC record four overtimes. All-America safety Michael Baldwin, who set a school-record with a 98-yard fumble return in regulation, had a game-saving blocked kick in the third overtime, but Clarion scored a TD and held KU scoreless in the fourth OT to break the deadlock.

September 9, 2006. Turn On the Lights. What makes this game memorable was the fact that it marked the first-ever night game, the first game on the renovated University Field, and also the first in head coach Raymond Monica's tenure.  Oh, and KU Hall of Famer and former NFL All-Pro Andre Reed conducted the coin toss.

2007. KU's Only 1,000-Yard Receiver. Elfren Quiles turned in one of the best receiving seasons in KU history as a senior in 2007. He hauled in 1,187 yards and remains the only Golden Bear to notch 1,000 or more receiving yards in a season.

September 29, 2007. 88 Yards to Paydirt. Kyle Spotts and Elfren Quiles connected for a school-record 88-yard touchdown pass in a 55-20 rout of American International College at University Field. It eclipsed the duo's previous school record for longest pass play of 87 yards set two weeks prior against Shippensburg.

October 6, 2007. Spotts and Quiles' Big Day. Kutztown lost to Bloomsburg, 49-32, despite a record-breaking offensive performance by the Golden Bears at University Field. Kutztown set several single game offensive records, including total offense by the team (625 yards), receiving yards by Elfren Quiles (308), passing yards by Kyle Spotts (463) and total offense by a player (Spotts, 494). Quiles' 308 yards still rank as the second-most in a game in PSAC history.

November 7, 2007. Triple-Overtime. QB Kyle Spotts' final collegiate play was a memorable one, an 8-yard touchdown run to finish off a triple-overtime barnburner in the 2007 season finale. The victory was the first in overtime for KU. It also was the second most overtimes in program history, after the 2005 four-OT loss to Clarion.

2008. Ryan Nye Named Academic All-America First Team. Ryan Nye became the first player in school history, and remains the only player, to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team. The punter was an elementary education major who held a 3.63 GPA.

October 23, 2010. The Kick Heard Around the World. At approximately 9:21 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Kutztown's thrilling 50-48 victory was finally secured when C.W. Post's 30-yard field goal attempt sailed inches left of the goal post as time expired, giving Kutztown its eighth win of the season to break the school record for wins in a season. Once the ball landed, the Kutztown student body stormed the field in celebration.

October 30, 2010. Golden Bears on Cloud Nine. Kutztown won its first nine games of the 2010 season, capped with a come-from-behind 45-23 win over West Chester at home on Senior Day, setting the school-record for longest winning streak. During the nine-game streak, KU outscored its opponents 370-191.

November 14, 2010. KU Earns No. 1 Seed for First-Ever NCAA playoff game. Not only did KU qualify for the NCAA playoffs for the first time in school-history in 2010, it entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in Super Region One. KU went on to host Shepherd in a second round game on Nov. 27 and Thanksgiving weekend at University Field, but fell in a heartbreaker to the Rams, 41-34.

2011. Moss to the Rescue. One of the standouts of the 2011 PSAC Championship team was senior defensive end Brett Moss. In his only year at KU, Moss set the school's single-season sack record with 18.5, topping the previous record of 16 by Jay Schiavello that stood for 31 years.

October 8, 2011. Endzone to Endzone. Josh Mastromatto set a school-record after he returned a 100-yard kickoff for a touchdown. The previous long was a 95-yard return by Kevin Wimberly in 1997, coincidentally, both were against East Stroudsburg.

November 5, 2011. Record crowd watches KU Win PSAC East title. A crowd of 8,029 overfilled University Field as added bleachers and standing room only sections were added to accommodate the record-setting crowd. KU went on to defeat Bloomsburg for the first time since 1992, 52-14, for a share of the PSAC East title.

November 12, 2011. Kutztown Wins First PSAC Championship. Fans learned the name Marshall Vogel very quickly, as the senior backup quarterback led KU on a championship-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes of the 2011 PSAC Championship game. Vogel's fade pass to Erik Frazier in the back corner of the endzone gave KU a 21-14 win over Slippery Rock at University Field, earning the program its first-ever PSAC Championship.

November 14, 2011. Highest National Ranking in School History. KU entered the 2011 NCAA playoffs ranked sixth in the American Football Coaches Association national poll, the highest national ranking in program history.

November 19, 2011. First NCAA Playoff Win. KU won its first-ever playoff game with a 17-14 win over Concord in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at University Field. It was the team's school-record 11th win of the season, breaking the previous record of 10 from 2010. KU was eliminated in the second round in a shootout at New Haven, 44-37.

2012. Kevin Morton Makes History. In his final year as a Golden Bear, quarterback Kevin Morton made KU history in 2012. He set the school's single-game record for completions and passing yards, single-season records for completions and completion percentage, and career records for attempts, completions, completion percentage, passing yards, total offense and touchdown passes.

October 27, 2012. Ruggieri Kicks his Way into NCAA Record Book. In a 59-3 win over Millersville, placekicker Jack Ruggieri etched his name into the NCAA record books with his 124th consecutive extra point conversion. His Division II record, which still stands today, was capped at 127 in the 2012 season finale.

December 14, 2012. John Mobley Inducted into Division II Hall of Fame. Mobley played linebacker from 1991-95 at KU and was an Associated Press All-American as a senior. He was the 15th overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and went on to win two Super Bowls.

August 2, 2014. Canton Bound. Andre Reed became the first player in PSAC history to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For his legacy left at KU and the PSAC, Reed was later presented with awards from the Borough of Kutztown, the PSAC, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and the Kutztown University President's Office.

October 18, 2014. Stadium renamed in Andre Reed's honor. University Field has been home to KU football since 1936, and following Reed's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014, KU honored Reed's career accomplishment by dedicating its stadium in his honor as, University Field at Andre Reed Stadium.