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The Malone University football team suffered a tough 59-20 loss in its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) opener at Saginaw Valley State (MI) University Saturday night.Â
The Cardinals (1-1 overall, 1-0 GLIAC) had been ranked 22nd in the NCAA Division II Preseason National Poll before falling on the road to fourth-ranked Northwest Missouri State University last week by a final tally of 45-24. SVSU  bounced back from the loss in a big way in the first two quarters of Saturday's game, opening up a 49-6 halftime lead over the Pioneers after scoring touchdowns on a blocked-punt return and six of its first eight offensive possessions.
The Pioneer defense forced a punt on the Cardinals' first drive of the game and Malone (0-2 overall, 0-1 GLIAC) moved the ball to near midfield before a false-start penalty helped to short-circuit the visitors' opening possession. The SVSU special teams, which had surrendered a blocked punt in its week-one loss, then delivered the game's first big play as Cardinal defensive back Jon Bryant broke through the line, blocked the kick and then scooped it up and returned it for a TD.Â
The Pioneers responded on their next possession, moving the ball deep into Saginaw Valley State territory before the Cardinals managed to bring the drive to a halt by forcing and recovering a Malone fumble.  The hosts would then move the ball down the field, successfully converting on a key fourth down before quarterback Jonathon Jennings later crossed the goal line on a one-yard rush to put his squad on top 14-0.
The Pioneers would answer with a big play of their own on the ensuing kickoff. Senior defensive back
Lepear Smith, who also competes as a sprinter on the Malone track & field team, caught the ball at the goal line, advanced up the middle of the field and then turned on the jets, racing 100 yards to the endzone to cut the deficit to 14-6 (extra point failed). The return was the fifth special teams touchdown of Smith's career (his four previous special teams TDs came on three blocked punt returns and one fumbled kickoff return). The highlight-reel play also set a new Pioneer record for the longest kickoff return in program history, breaking the previous mark of 99 yards that was registered by
Justin McLean vs. McKendree (IL) University in 2011.
SVSU quickly responded, pulling ahead 21-6 after capping a five-play, 75-yard drive on a two-yard touchdown run by Mark Mays. The Pioneers would get a couple first downs on their next possession before being forced to punt. Just like on Malone's first attempt, the Cardinals once again broke through the line and got a hand on the kick by punter
Frank Dufour. This time the pigskin went forward and was downed five yards beyond the line of scrimmage, giving the ball back to the SVSU offense on the Malone 41-yard line.
The Cardinals capitalized on the good field position just four plays later as Norman Shuford crossed the goal line on a three-yard run to push the lead to 28-6. The hosts would then tack on three more TDs before the half to take a commanding 43-point lead to the locker room at intermission.Â
Despite the large deficit, the Pioneers refused to surrender in the third and fourth quarters, engineering touchdown drives of 75 and 78 yards en route to the final score of 59-20. Running back
Bryce Pratt gave Malone its first offensive touchdown of the evening with a 19-yard run early in the third quarter. Quarterback
Brandyn Eckhart then added the first touchdown of his Pioneer career on a five-yard run late in the fourth stanza.
Overall, Malone totaled 294 yards of offense with 230 of those yards coming on the ground. After rushing for 204 yards last week at Notre Dame College, the Pioneers have now posted back-to-back games with at least 200 rushing yards for the first time since early in the 2010 campaign when the squad put up 203 rushing yards against Saint Ambrose (IA) University, 444 yards vs. Anna Maria (MA) College, and 256 yards against Saint Francis (IN) University in consecutive weeks.
Saginaw Valley State countered with 525 total yards, 240 rushing and 285 passing.
Pratt ended the night with 153 rushing yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He also snagged a 17-yard reception. Pratt, who rushed for 120 yards last week against NDC, becomes the first Pioneer to rush for 100 or more yards in back-to-back games since Joseph Peters picked up over 100 rushing yards in the final three games of the 2009 season.
Eckhart netted 66 rushing yards and a TD on 16 carries. He also completed two of his seven passes for 27 yards. Quarterback
Will Szpor also saw action, connecting on five of his 12 pass attempts for 37 yards.
Safeties
Brandon Commodore and
Demarco Donaldson each posted eight tackles to pace the Malone defense. Linebacker
Philip Fisher and cornerback
Glen Raphael both added seven stops. Smith posted three tackles and an interception to go with his record-setting kick return.Â
For SVSU, Mays totaled 90 rushing yards on eight carries with two TDs. Jennings completed 13 of 18 pass attempts for 256 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. All-American wide receiver Jeff Janis pulled in three catches for 132 yards and one score. Brian Johnson led the Cardinal defense with 10 tackles and two pass break-ups.
The Pioneers will host their home opener next Saturday at 2:00 p.m. against Hillsdale (MI) College.  Fans can follow all of the action on the Malone Sports Network (on the radio at ESPN 990 AM and streaming on the internet at
www.espn990.com). Live stats and live streaming video will also be provided.Â
Click here for links to each.
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