East Stroudsburg, Pa. - Tailback Nate Pendry ran two yards for an overtime touchdown as East Stroudsburg University trimmed Shepherd, 35-28, in a battle of undefeated football team Saturday.

The Warriors raised their record to 4-0, their best start since 1976. Shepherd, ranked 15th in this week's NCAA Division II national poll, is now 2-1. The Rams had beaten ESU, 33-27, in double overtime last season.

Taking the ball first in overtime, the Warriors went 25 yards in four plays for the winning score. Quarterback Jeremy Palm scrambled 12 yards up the middle to the Shepherd 13-yard line. Tailback Andre Castiglioni took it twice for eight and three yards to the two. Pendry then entered the game and barreled off the right side for the TD.

On its possession, Shepherd failed to get a first down. Tailback Dalevon Smith ran for five yards, but was stopped on second down for no gain with tackle Dustin Barno and linebacker Rich Butcofski combining for the tackle. Quarterback Joel Gordon threw an incomplete pass on third down to leave the team fourth and five. Gordon then completed a pass in the flat to Smith, but safety Jason Zinn came up to make the stop for no gain to end the game.

Shepherd had ripped to a 14-0 first-half lead as Smith, the nation's leading rusher with 212.5 yards per game entering the contest, broke loose for 44 yards to set up the first touchdown and 61 yards to score the second TD.

ESU took charge after intermission, scoring on its four possessions of the second half on drives of 28, 64, 74 and 80 yards.

Castiglioni scored one touchdown on a 15-yard run and posted his fourth straight 100-yard game with 160 yards on 26 carries. The junior from Muhlenberg High School has a season total of 590 yards for an average of 147.5 yards per game.

Palm completed two touchdown passes of three yards to wide receiver John Jeffries and seven yards to wide receiver Mike Patrick which put the Warriors ahead for the first time, 21-20, with 12:09 remaining.

The junior from Wilson West Lawn High School then scored on a one-yard sneak with 2:25 to increase the margin to 28-20. He had completed passes of 12 and 11 yards to Jeffries and 31 yards to Patrick during the drive.

Shepherd came back, however, and went 71 yards in ten plays to tie the game on Gordon's 21-yard touchdown pass to Dirting and two-point conversion pass to Marcus Boyd with 42 seconds left in regulation.

ESU gained 453 yards total offense with 302 rushing behind their huge offensive line. Palm completed 12 of 23 passes for 151 yards and also ran 12 times of 79 yards. Pendry had 63 yards rushing on 14 carries. Patrick caught five passes for 83 yards and Jeffries five passes for 38 yards.

For the Rams, Smith finished with 148 yards on 23 carries, but only 19 yards on nine attempts in the second half. Gordon was 22 for 33 for 229 yards passing with Dirting catching six passes for 103 yards.

Butcofski led the ESU defense with ten tackles and linebacker Adam Stauffer added eight including three for loss and Barno and halfback Jeremy Brown seven apiece. Linebacker Kevin Nagle, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's leading tackler, made only five tackles.

Shepherd (2-1) 7-7-6-8 28

East Stroudsburg (4-0) 0-0-14-7 35

Shep - Jerit Siedor 2 pass from Joel Gordon (Kevin Burkey kick)

Shep - Dalevon Smith 61 run (Burkey kick)

ESU - John Jeffries 3 pass from Jeremy Palm (Mike Berry kick)

Shep - Jason Dirting 39 pass from Gordon (kick failed)

ESU - Andre Castiglioni 15 run (Berry kick)

ESU - Mike Patrick 7 pass from Palm (Berry kick)

ESU - Palm 1 run (Berry kick)

Shep - Dirting 21 pass from Gordon (Marcus Boyd pass from Gordon)

ESU - Nate Pendry 2 run (Berry kick)