Sophomore Matt Foltz passed for a school-record 421 yards and six touchdowns this afternoon, including three TDs in the last 1:02. (PHOTO BY Lewis Glass)

Sophomore quarterback engineers second fourth quarter comeback in three weeks with school-record performance

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (September 26, 2015) – Sophomore quarterback Matt Foltz (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania/The Hill School) authored his second fourth quarter comeback win in three weeks with a historic performance as Stonehill College, receiving votes in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll, erased a 24-point second half deficit, including a 17-point hole with 2:13 to play with 20 points in the final 62-seconds to stun fellow unbeaten LIU Post, also receiving votes nationally, 40-37 in Northeast-10 Conference football action at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium this afternoon.

Stonehill trailed 10-0 at halftime, 30-6 with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter and 37-20 with 2:13 to play before rallying for the improbable win to improve to 4-0 for the first time since a 7-0 start in 1995. Foltz recorded the first 400-yard passing game in program history as he finished with a program-record 421 yards and a school-record matching six touchdowns as he completed 30-of-46 passes with just one interception. He was 14-for-24 for 245 yards and four touchdowns (no interceptions) in the fourth quarter alone, connecting with senior wide receiver Corey White (Bergenfield, New Jersey/Bergenfield) for a 41-yard Hail Mary as time expired to cap the rally after the Skyhawks had recovered an on-side kick with 5.7-seconds remaining. Foltz rallied Stonehill from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit in a 24-20 win at Merrimack College in week two.

Freshman tight end Kaleb Lutton caught three touchdown passes, finishing with a season-high 131 yards on eight receptions. (PHOTO BY Lewis Glass)

Stonehill scored 20 points in the final 1:02 as Foltz found freshman tight end Kaleb Lutton (Middletown, Connecticut/Xavier) for his third touchdown reception of the day from 13 yards out with 1:02 remaining just 1:11 after LIU Post had taken a 37-20 lead with a four yard Malik Pierre (Holbrook, New York/Sachem North) rush. Stonehill was unable to get the on-side kick after Lutton's touchdown grab, but the defense forced a punt after three plays and an LIU Post personal foul penalty forced fourth and 21 from the Pioneers 15.

Stonehill got the ball on the Post 43 after a 28 yard punt out of bounds and Foltz connected with sophomore Dave Harrison (Weymouth, Massachusetts/Weymouth) for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 5.9-seconds to play just four plays later to pull the Skyhawks within three points. Senior Peter Catal (Cornwall, New York/Cornwall) recovered the on-side kick this time to set up the gamewinning play.

Foltz's 30 completions are tied for the second-highest single-game total in program history behind Logan Meyer '14's record 34 against Southern Connecticut State University in 2012. Foltz is the fourth Stonehill quarterback to throw for six touchdowns in a game, the last being Meyer against Pace in 2012, while his 421 passing yards surpasses Meyer's previous single game mark of 385 in the 2012 Pace game. He also moved into tenth place on the program's career passing yardage list with 1,605 yards in just seven career games played, while his 14 touchdown passes through four games this season is already within 12 of Meyer's program record of 26 in 2013.

Foltz produced three receivers with 100-yards in a game for the first time in program history. Lutton finished with eight receptions for a 131 yards and a season-best three touchdowns for his first career 100-yard game. He has five touchdown catches on 12 receptions this season and his three touchdown grabs today is tied for the second-most in program history, two shy of Mike Plitcha's record five scores against Saint Anselm College in 2005. Senior Cody Page (Sylmar, California/Notre Dame) added a career-high ten receptions for a career-best 101 yards, while White posted four receptions for a career-best 117 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior Corey White hauled in two touchdown passes, including the gamewinning Hail Mary. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds)

Senior Colin Markus (Monroe, Connecticut/Masuk) chipped in with 93 yards on 16 carries on the ground for Stonehill. The Skyhawks finished with 495 yards of total offense – their second straight 400-yard game.

Junior linebacker Ryan Doherty (Methuen, Massachusetts/Central Catholic) paced the Stonehill defense with seven tackles (three solo), including 2.5 for a loss of 15 yards, with 2.0 sacks for a loss of 13 and a forced fumble. Classmate and fellow linebacker Anthony Leggio (Commack, New York/Saint Anthony's) posted his first career double-figure tackle total with a career-best 11 stops (four solo), while sophomore cornerback Donovan Phanor (Portsmouth, New Hampshire/Portsmouth) contributed a career-high nine tackles (five solo) and two pass breakups.

Pierre finished with 238 yards rushing and three touchdowns for LIU Post on 33 carries (7.2 yards per attempt). Junior quarterback Jeff Kidd (Salem, Oregon/Sprague) completed 11-of-25 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.

Junior linebacker Wayne Harris (Jamaica, New York/Channel View School) led four LIU Post players with seven tackles (six solo), with 2.5 for a loss of four yards and a breakup. Classmate Clarence Sears (Montclair, New Jersey/Montclair) posted seven stops (five solo), an interception and breakup, while sophomore Anthony DeNunzio (Seaford, New York/MacArthur) posted two sacks for a loss of 17 yards, a forced fumble and quarterback hurry as he finished with four tackles (two solo).

LIU Post led 10-0 at halftime after a 15-yard touchdown run by Pierre at the end of a nine play, 59-yard touchdown drive with 3:35 to play in the first quarter. The Pioneers added a 23-yard field goal by freshman Joey Tolgyesi (Miami, Florida/Christopher Columbus) with 8:14 remaining in the second quarter. Stonehill managed just four first downs and 116 yards in the first half.

Stonehill was back in the game with an eight play, 50-yard drive, capped by a 24 yard touchdown pass by Foltz to Lutton midway through the third quarter. However, LIU Post scored three times over the next six minutes to stake out a 30-6 lead after a two-yard scoring toss from Kidd to senior Sean Binckes (Brooklyn, New York/Xavarian) with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter. Pierre started the surge with a one yard touchdown plunge with 6:23 to play and then Kidd connected with junior Shane Hubbard (St. Albans, New York/John Adams) for a 36 yard touchdown strike with 4:05 on the clock.

Foltz was able to march Stonehill down the field in three plays, capped by a five yard touchdown toss to Lutton with five seconds left in the third quarter to draw Stonehill within 30-13. Foltz then pulled the Skyhawks within ten points (30-20) on a 32-yard touchdown pass to White with 9:50 remaining, but Pierre looked to seal the win for LIU Post with his third touchdown of the day from four yards out with 2:13 to play at the end of an eight play, 97-yard drive that consumed 3:54 off the clock.

Foltz took over from there, completing eight of his final ten passes for 135 yards and the three touchdowns in the closing 1:02, adding a pair of rushes for 19 yards that helped keep the ball moving down the field. He converted on third down twice over the final three possessions, including a third and 10 on the LIU Post 30 and his scoring pass to Harrison was on third and one at the Pioneers 11.

Stonehill (4-0, 3-0 NE-10) returns to W.B. Mason Stadium next Saturday, where it will play four of its next five games, when it hosts Southern Connecticut State University for its Purple & White Game at W.B. Mason Stadium at 6 p.m. LIU Post (3-1, 2-1 NE-10) visits American International College next Saturday at noon.

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