2021 Shepherd Rams football team

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2021 Shepherd Rams football
ConferencePennsylvania State Athletic Conference
DivisionEast Division
Ranking
AFCANo. 5
Record13–2 (6–1 PSAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJesse Correll (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorJosh Kline (13th season)
Home stadiumRam Stadium
Seasons
← 2020
2022 →
2021 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 8 Kutztown xy$^   7 0     11 2  
No. 5 Shepherd x^   6 1     13 2  
Shippensburg   5 2     9 2  
West Chester   4 3     6 5  
East Stroudsburg   3 4     5 6  
Bloomsburg   2 5     3 8  
Millersville   1 6     2 9  
Lock Haven   0 7     1 10  
West Division
No. 20 Slippery Rock xy^   6 1     9 3  
No. 21 California (PA) x   5 1     9 1  
IUP   5 2     7 3  
Gannon   3 4     5 6  
Edinboro   3 4     4 6  
Mercyhurst   3 4     4 7  
Seton Hill   2 5     5 6  
Clarion   0 6     0 10  
Championship: Kutztown 38, Slippery Rock 32
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2021 Shepherd Rams football team represented Shepherd University during the 2021 NCAA Division II football season. The 2021 season was the second for the Rams as a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference after joining the conference in 2019.[1] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was canceled.[2][3] The team was led by 4th year head coach Ernie McCook, and played their home games at Ram Stadium in Shepherdstown, WV.

On December 17, Junior QB Tyson Bagent won the Harlon Hill Trophy, as most valuable player in NCAA Division II for the 2021 season.[4][5]

Playoffs[edit]

Shepherd advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Championship as the #2 seed in Super Region 1. In the first round, they hosted Findlay, winning 38–31.

In the second round against Notre Dame (OH), the Rams won 38–34, on a Tyson Bagent 23 yard touchdown pass with two seconds remaining.[6]

In the quarterfinal round against Kutztown, Bagent threw a 42 yard touchdown pass as time expired, resulting in a 30–28 win for Shepherd.[7]

Shepherd went on to lose in the semi-finals, 7–55, against Ferris State.[8]

Schedule[edit]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 27:00 p.m.at Ohio Dominican*No. 15
W 35–30918[9]
September 1112:00 p.m.at Gannon*No. 13W 56–261,137[9]
September 182:00 p.m.at No. 14 IUP*No. 11W 37–216,367[9]
September 2512:00 p.m.KutztownNo. 10L 29–375,371[9]
October 212:00 p.m.ShippensburgNo. 21
  • Ram Stadium
  • Shepherdstown, WV
W 59–275,291[9]
October 91:00 p.m.at Lock HavenNo. T–16W 75–21723[9]
October 162:00 p.m.at MillersvilleNo. 15W 38–132,210[9]
October 2312:00 p.m.West ChesterdaggerNo. 11
  • Ram Stadium
  • Shepherdstown, WV
W 42–385,911[9]
October 302:00 p.m.at BloomsburgNo. 12W 62–182,124[9]
November 612:00 p.m.East StroudsburgNo. 11
  • Ram Stadium
  • Shepherdstown, WV
W 55–74,261[9]
November 1312:00 p.m.Clarion*No. 8
  • Ram Stadium
  • Shepherdstown, WV (Senior Day)
W 55–04,259[9]
November 2012:00 p.m.Findlay*No. 8
W 38–314,503[10]
November 2712:00 p.m.No. 6 Notre Dame (OH)*No. 8
  • Ram Stadium
  • Shepherdstown, WV (NCAA Division II Second Round)
W 38–344,857[9]
December 412:05 p.m.at No. 12 Kutztown*No. 8
PSAC TVW 30–283,393[11]
December 113:30 p.m.at No. 1 Ferris State*No. 8
ESPN+L 7–552,473[9]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Rankings[edit]

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below
Week
PollPre12345678910Final
AFCA DII151311102116-T1511121185
D2Football.com[12]1914111022

References[edit]

  1. ^ Goldberg, K. Meira (2019), "Good Shepherd, Bumpkin Shepherd", Sonidos Negros, Oxford University Press, pp. 31–49, doi:10.1093/oso/9780190466916.003.0002, ISBN 978-0-19-046691-6, retrieved September 16, 2021
  2. ^ "Shepherd to Join Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference". Shepherd University Athletics. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Vairo, Giampietro L.; Miller, Sayers John; McBrier, Nicol M. (October 22, 2014). "ACL-Reconstruction Autografts, Musculotendinous Stiffness, and Knee Osteoarthritis". International Journal of Athletic Therapy & Training. doi:10.1123/ijatt.2009-0044. ISSN 2157-7277.
  4. ^ "DII football player of the year: Tyson Bagent wins the 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com.
  5. ^ "19 Dec 2021, B16 - The Wichita Eagle at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Notre Dame College vs. Shepherd football: Falcons lose on last-second TD pass, 38-34". November 27, 2021.
  7. ^ Sports, Herald-Mail. "Shepherd scores on final play to stun Kutztown". The Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
  8. ^ Sports, Herald-Mail. "Bernhardt leads Ferris State past Shepherd in D-II football semifinals". The Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "2021 Shepherd Football Schedule - PSAC".
  10. ^ "Findlay Edged by Shepherd in NCAA Super Region One Playoffs, 38-31". greatmidwestsports.com.
  11. ^ "Kutztown vs Shepherd - Football - 12/4/2021 - Box Score - PSAC".
  12. ^ "Top 25 Poll". www.d2football.com. Retrieved September 16, 2021.