Box Score
The Malone University football team wrapped up its 2013 campaign at home on Saturday afternoon with a 40-13 defeat to Ohio Dominican University, the squad ranked eighth in the most recent NCAA Division II National Poll.
With the win, the Panthers completed an undefeated regular season (10-0 overall, 9-0 GLIAC) and secured their first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Title.
Special Teams helped Ohio Dominican jump out to an early 14-0 lead in the contest as the Panthers managed to get a hand on the Pioneers' first two punts of the afternoon. ODU cornerback Da'Twane Harris got a piece of the first kick to set the Panther offense up with a first and 10 at the Malone 31. Five plays later, Ohio Dominican running back Mark Nichols crossed the goal line from three yards out, his first of three rushing TDs on the day.
Defensive end Sydney Omameh deflected the next punt attempt, once again giving the ball back to the Panther offense inside Pioneer territory. Tailback Brandon Schoen later scored on a 13-yard run to put the visitors on top 14-0 midway through the first quarter.
Malone answered back on its next possession, putting together a 10-play, 61-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a four-yard TD run by quarterback
Brandyn Eckhart.
However, Omameh struck again on the ensuing extra-point attempt, deflecting the PAT towards the sideline. Harris scooped up the batted ball and raced 95 yards to the end zone for a two-point conversion, making the score 16-6.
Nichols then wrapped up the first-quarter scoring with a nine-yard TD run just before the end of the period to stretch the lead to 23-6.
Malone would move the ball deep into Ohio Dominican territory on its next two possessions, but the stingy Panther defense, which entered Saturday's game leading the conference in points allowed, turned away both of the Pioneers' drives. The first possession ended with a Malone fumble that ODU recovered at its own 1-yard line. Malone then advanced to the Panther 21 on its next trip down the field before being stopped on fourth down.
The Ohio Dominican advantage increased to 30-6 late in the second quarter as a 42-yard pass from quarterback Mark Miller to wide receiver Casey Williams helped set up a nine-yard rushing TD by Nichols just before the end of the half.
The Panthers would add a 15-play TD drive in the third quarter and a 51-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to push their lead to 40-6 before Malone capped the scoring in the final moments with a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback
Tyler Wentz to defensive back
Lepear Smith.
The Pioneers totaled 21 first downs and 302 total yards in the contest with 188 of those yards coming on the ground and 114 through the air. Ohio Dominican countered with 23 first downs and 376 yards of offense, 207 rushing and 169 passing.
Running back
Justin Davis picked up 116 rushing yards on 26 attempts. The strong performance marked the third time this year that Davis has eclipsed 100 yards and just the fourth time this season that ODU has allowed a 100-yard rusher.
Eckhart completed seven of 17 passes for 83 yards while also picking up 56 yards and a TD on 20 rushing attempts. Wide receiver
Jordan Phillips led the Malone receiving corps with three catches for 35 yards.
Safety
Brandon Commodore paced the defense with nine tackles. Defensive end
Brock Lundeen added six tackles, including one tackle for loss. Linebacker
Philip Fisher and defensive back
Dashawn Goodwin each registered five stops while Smith tallied four tackles and a pass break-up to go with his fourth-quarter TD catch.
For ODU, Schoen ended the afternoon with 151 rushing yards and a TD on 27 carries. Miller completed nine of 15 passes for 156 yards and a score. Wide receiver Dez Stewart made two catches for 61 yards. Linebacker Warren Shields registered ten tackles while defensive end Di'Andre Harrison tallied eight tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Commodore, Smith, linebackers
Travis Howe and
Elliot Dole and offensive linemen
Chuck Lennon,
Tyler Mihalik and
Chris Davis were recognized prior to the game as part of Senior Day
Notes/Record Book: The Pioneers ended the season with the second most rushing attempts (520) and rushing yards (2497) in program history…The Pioneers' 227.0 rushing yards per game marked the third-highest average ever recorded by a Malone team…MU picked up 129 first downs via the run in 2013, second most in school history…
Jordan Phillips notched 745 kickoff-return yards this season which ranks as the second-highest total in the Malone record book.