EAST STROUDSBURG - Quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger threw for five touchdowns as East Stroudsburg University outscored Southern Connecticut State, 55-33, in an NCAA playoff game which featured an NCAA Division II record 1,353 yards of total offense, Saturday at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

Terwilliger, a junior, completed 20 of 28 passes for 344 yards and also ran for 115. ESU tailback Derek Lucas rushed for a career-high 218 yards as the Warriors piled up 712 yards of total offense.

Southern Connecticut State gained 641 yards of total offense with Steve Armstrong completing 22 of 44 passes for 365 yards and tailback Shawn Harris rushing for 218 yards.

The game total broke the previous NCAA Division II total offense record of 1,328 set in a contest between Saginaw Valley State (640) and Northwood (688) in 1998.

The Warriors, now 9-2, won their second-ever NCAA playoff game and will play at Bloomsburg Saturday at noon in the second round.

Terwilliger threw three touchdown passes to Evan Prall for 38, 48 and 10 yards and two to Tim Strenfel for 13 and 10 yards. He also carried 10 times for a career-best 115 yards. He extended his NCAA Division II record to 34th straight games with a touchdown pass and also went over 300 yards passing for the 21st time in his career, also an NCAA Division II record.

Lucas rushed 28 times, with a long of 33 yards, for his new career high. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry. Fullback Anthony Carfagno scored three touchdowns.

Armstrong threw touchdown passes of four and 22 yards. He was intercepted twice. Harris had a long run of 59 yards and averaged 10 yards per carry.

The Warriors received the opening kickoff and marched 57 yards in four plays, all runs. Carfagno scored from four yards out and Mark Brubaker kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead two minutes into the game.

SCSU scored on its first possession when Jim Armstrong hit Jim Lukowiak from four yards out. The PAT was blocked.

The Warriors scored three straight touchdowns and never trailed by less than two touchdowns the rest of the way. Prall caught two of his touchdown passes in the first quarter, one for 38 yards and the other for 48, as the Warriors built a 20-6 lead after the first quarter.

Strenfel opened the second quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Terwilliger to extend the lead to 27-6.

Southern Connecticut scored on a 22-yard Armstrong touchdown and forced the Warriors to punt on the following possession. The Owls were driving and could have got within seven points but cornerback Michael Wiggins made an interception in the end zone to end the drive.

Six plays later, Carfagno scored from three yards out for a 34-13 lead with less than two minutes to go in the first half.

Wiggins forced a fumble and Matt Crispell recovered on the first drive of the opening half and the Warriors took advantage when Carfagno plunged in from a yard out for a 41-13 lead.

Harris ran for a 10-yard score and Rory Palmer scored from five yards out to get the Owls within 41-27 but Strenfel hauled in a 10-yard touchdown reception and Prall caught another from 10 yards out for a 55-27 advantage.

Linebacker Fred Rice led the Warriors with 10 tackles while John Vetter and John Glenn each had eight. Crispell and Wiggins has interceptions while Zach Toomey had a sack.

Kamau Selby had 12 tackles for the Owls, who end their season at 8-3. Mat McGrath had 11 stops.