Football set to host Wilmington in OAC action

The Muskingum football team hosts Wilmington in Ohio Athletic Conference action on Saturday, September 28. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in McConagha Stadium. The game marks the second Muskie Pride game this fall hosted by Muskingum's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The game has been billed a BLACKOUT, and all Muskie fans are encouraged to wear BLACK to the game. 

The Muskies, 1-2 overall and 0-2 in the OAC, are looking to rebound after a tough 31-25 Shriner Game loss at rival Marietta last Saturday evening. Muskingum ended the game with a season-best 463 yards of offense, which included a season-high 291 passing yards. Junior quarterback captain Brody Hahn led the charge going 15-of-29 for 212 yards with one touchdown. He also rushed for 69 yards on 13 totes. Senior running back captain Bernard Johnson rushed for a team-high 72 yards on 16 carries. He also hauled in four receptions for 62 yards. Freshman wideout Tyler Heinecke led the Muskie receivers with four grabs for a career-high 100 yards. Defensively, senior defensive lineman captain Tim Ousley led the defense with 10 hits and one half-sack. He now has 21 career sacks which rank first all-time at Muskingum. Junior linebacker Nehemiah Bowie also added nine tackles, and freshman defensive back Willie Smith had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Muskingum leads the all-time series against Wilmington, 16-8, and have beaten the Quakers in 10 straight games. On the season, Muskingum is averaging 358 yards and 22 points per game. Hahn, who directs the offense, has thrown for 441 yards and two touchdowns. He also has rushed for 182 yards and three scores. Hahn is averaging 207.7 yards of offense per outing. Johnson has rushed for 189 on 45 totes and is averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Heinecke leads the Muskie receivers with 12 grabs for 187 yards, while sophomore Patrick Eanes (two touchdowns) and senior Darius Hayes-Carruth (one touchdown) each have seven receptions for 133 and 117 yards, respectively. 

Bowie paces the Muskie defense with 28 stops. Ousley has 21 tackles with a team-best three sacks for 12 yards, while senior linebacker Caleb Gaiters has 20 hits and one sack. Muskingum's defense is allowing 30 points and 330.7 yards per contest. As a unit, Muskingum has racked up 13 tackles for loss for 38 yards, five sacks for 25 yards and three interceptions. 

Sophomore Gavin Costello anchors Muskingum's special teams play. On the season, Costello is a perfect 4-for-4 in field goals. He's connected from 28, 30, 38 and 41 yards.

Wilmington, 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the OAC, arrives in New Concord on the heels of a thrilling 42-38 win against Ohio Northern. The win was Wilmington's first over ONU since 1956 and snapped a 25-game losing streak to the Polar Bears. The Quakers ended the game with 592 yards of offense and 29 first downs. Wilmington had two of its members earn weekly Ohio Athletic Conference awards for their performances against ONU. Junior quarterback Kyle Barrett and junior defensive back Tre'Quez Parks garnered Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week honors, respectively. Barrett finished the game 26-of-34 for 406 yards passing along with four touchdowns. Parks led the defensive unit with 14 tackles along with two sacks.

Wilmington's offense, which is averaging 421 yards and 23 points per game, is led by Barrett. Barrett has thrown for 951 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 68 yards and two scores. Senior running back Gino Hinton has rushed for 183 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries. The Quaker receiving core is paced by the sophomore trio of Ace Taylor, Itika Wynn Jr., and Luke Richardson. Taylor has 24 receptions for 201 yards and two scores, Wynn Jr. has 22 grabs for 318 yards and three touchdowns, and Richardson has 12 grabs for 329 yards and one touchdown. Richardson also leads the special teams play averaging 26.6 yards per kickoff return.

Defensively, the Quakers are allowing 399.3 yards and 31 points per contest. Parks leads the team averaging 11.7 hits per game with two sacks for 14 yards. Junior Ameer Jackson is tallying 10 stops per outing, and junior linebacker Tavion Bryant is registering 8.7 tackles per game and has six tackles for loss for 15 yards. 

Special Recognition

In between the first and second quarters, Muskingum will recognize the 2018 and 2019 Teammates of the Year for the Athletic Department. Being recognized are Professor of History Dr. Laura Hilton, Bill and Martha Lovejoy Professor of Biology Dr. Jim Dooley, Director of Student Financial Services Amber Gump, Grounds Supervisor John Bugglin, Associate Professor of Health Science and Dean of Student Educational Services Dr. Shelley Amstutz-Szalay, Director of Admission Marcy Ritzert, and Assistant Director of CNS for Telecommunications John Miller.

Media Coverage

GameDay Information

The Touchdown Tent, which is located behind the east end zone, provides field-level viewing, snacks, and drinks to members who join the Muskie Athletic Club at the MVP level and above. Access to the Touchdown Tent is reserved for members 21 and over.

Muskingum's M Zone student section is located in the middle-lower section of stands at McConagha Stadium. Seating is reserved for Muskie students. 

The Muskie Tailgate area for parents, alumni, and fans is located in the Stag/Ulster parking lot and features Muskingum's student radio station WMCO 90.7 FM. WMCO's entertainment will start at 11:00 a.m., and move to a live broadcast from 12:00-1:00 p.m. that will feature interviews with Muskingum administrators, coaches, and student-athletes. The tailgate opens three hours before kickoff. (Muskingum Tailgating Policy)

The visiting tailgate area is located in the Cambridge parking lot. The Memorial/Moore parking lot located behind McConagha Stadium is reserved for Muskingum residential student parking only.

Admission Prices
Adult - $5.00
Kids - $2.00 (18 and under)
Muskingum and OAC students - Free (with student ID)
Parents with OAC pass - Free