Football powers past Wilmington

The Muskingum football team erupted for 520 yards of offense en route to a convincing 38-21 win against Ohio Athletic Conference foe Wilmington on Saturday in McConagha Stadium.

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (2-2 overall, 1-2 OAC), Wilmington (1-3, 1-2 OAC)
• Location: New Concord, Ohio - McConagha Stadium
• Attendance: 1,023
• Temperature: 85 and sunny

Notable

• Muskingum's 520 yards of offense were the most since the Muskies had 591 yards in 1999 against Hiram.
• Muskingum's 359 yards of rushing were the most since the Muskies had 416 rushing yards in 2014 against Capital.
• Muskingum held a dominating 41:08-18:52 advantage in time of possession.
• The victory was the 11th straight for Muskingum against Wilmington.
• Muskingum leads the all-time series against the Quakers, 17-8.
• In between the first and second quarters, Muskingum recognized the 2018 and 2019 Teammates of the Year for the Athletic Department. 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 were all recognized.

How It Happened

• Muskingum took the opening kickoff and orchestrated an 11-play, 76-yard drive that resulted in junior captain quarterback Brody Hahn hitting senior wideout Darius Hayes-Carruth for a 38-yard touchdown. Following sophomore kicker Gavin Costello's extra point, the Muskies led 7-0 at the 8:29 mark of the opening frame.
• The Muskies extended their lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter on senior running back captain Bernard Johnson's four-yard touchdown run that capped off a 13-play, 74-yard drive. Johnson ended the game with a career-high 172 yards rushing on 21 totes with two touchdowns.
• Wilmington trimmed its deficit to 14-7 on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Barrett to Itika Wynn Jr. with 7:22 left in the half.
• Muskingum finished the first-half scoring on Costello's 25-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the half. The score ended a 13-play, 72-yard drive.
• Muskingum stretched its lead to 24-7 late in the third quarter after an impressive 17-play, 73-yard drive the culminated with Hahn scoring on a seven-yard touchdown run.
• The fourth quarter saw both teams score two touchdowns.
• Johnson tallied the first Muskie score in the fourth frame on a 54-yard burst for his second touchdown of the day.
• Freshman running back Jeffrey Curtis scored the Muskies final touchdown on a 32-yard rumble. He ended the game with a career-high 133 yards rushing on 19 carries.
• Wilmington scored on passing plays of 96 yards and 76 yards. 

Inside the Numbers

• Muskingum ended the game converting 9-of-14 (.642) third-down conversions, and 3-of-4 fourth-down conversions. The Muskies were 3-of-4 in red zone scoring opportunities.
• Hahn was nearly perfect directing the Muskie offense going 10-of-11 for 161 yards and one score. He also rushed for 39 yards and one touchdown
• Johnson and Curtis combined for 305 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The duo averaged 7.6 yards per carry.
• Hayes-Carruth led the Muskie receivers with three grabs for 60 yards and one touchdown.
• Sophomore Jacob Quinn hauled in three balls for 42 yards.
• Junior defensive lineman Drew Lowery led the Muskie defense with seven stops.
• Junior defensive lineman Chris Shakespeare notched six hits, and senior linebacker Caleb Gaiters had five tackles.
• Senior defensive lineman Tim Ousley had four stops and one sack for nine yards and now stands at 22 career sacks which rank first all-time at Muskingum.
• Kyle Barrett led the Wilmington offense going 20-of-30 for 370 yards and three touchdowns. 
• Wynn Jr. led all receivers with eight receptions for 148 yards and two scores.
• Luke Richardson had three grabs for 128 yards and one touchdown.
• Ameer Jackson and Tavion Bryant led the Quaker defense with 13 tackles each.

Up Next

• Muskingum next travels to nationally-ranked John Carroll on Saturday, October 5. Game time is slated for 1:30 p.m.