Football dominates in season-opening win at Ferrum

The Muskingum football team dominated on both sides of the ball en route to rolling past Ferrum in its season opener on a wet Saturday afternoon, 31-3.

Highlights

• The victory marked the fourth straight full-season year that Muskingum has started 1-0 under Head Coach Erik Ieuter.
• The three points Muskingum allowed are the fewest since 2017, when Muskingum shut out Waynesburg, 19-0.
• Muskingum scored the final 24 points of the game.
• Muskingum ended the outing going 4-for-4 in the red zone.
• Muskingum converted 9-of-16 (56%) third-down conversions.
• Muskingum controlled time of possession with a 36:34-23:26 advantage.
• Muskingum freshman running back Noah Wellmeier rushed for a game-high 117 yards on 27 carries with one touchdown. 
• Muskingum senior quarterback Jordan Garrett threw for 181 yards and two scores. He also added 10 yards on the ground.
• Muskingum junior wideout Travis Roberson led all receivers with five grabs for 70 yards and two touchdowns. 
• Muskingum freshman defensive back Nick Thomas returned a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown.
• Senior linebacker Tristan Howell led the Muskie defense with seven stops.

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (1-0), Ferrum(0-2)
• Location: Ferrum, Virginia - W.B. Adams Stadium

Inside the Numbers

• Muskingum took advantage of a botched punt attempt on Ferrum's opening possession to start its first drive on the Ferrum 30-yard line. The Muskies then used four plays to cover 30 yards, culminating in a Wellmeier one-yard rush to give Muskingum an early 7-0 lead following junior kicker Hunter Albers' PAT.
• Muskingum added its second touchdown in the first quarter after a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Garrett finding Roberson for an eight-yard touchdown.
• The Muskies led 14-3 at the break.
• The Muskies extended their lead to 21-3 when Thomas scooped up a fumble and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown at the 10:40 mark of the third quarter.
• Roberson hauled in his second touchdown of the game from Garrett on a seven-yard pass. The score capped off an 86-yard, 12-play drive.
• Albers completed the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 20-yard field goal.
• Muskingum ended the contest with a 361-197 yards edge in offense.
• Junior receiver Ja'Lin Goodman had four receptions for 62 yards.
• Senior running back Donny Wilkinson rumbled for 50 yards on 14 totes.
• The Muskie defense allowed only 10 first downs and logged one interception, one fumble recovery, and one sack.
• Sophomore linebacker Austin Willforth, junior defensive back Devin Roebuck and freshman Antwan Murphy all logged five hits. 
• Junior punter Collin Scozzafava averaged 39.3 yards per punt with a long of 47 yards.

Up Next

• Muskingum hosts Ohio Athletic Conference foe Capital for its home/league opener and its 100th Homecoming on Saturday, September 17. The game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Bullock Health and Wellness Complex (BHWC). The contest will mark the first contest played at the BHWC and the first time Muskingum has played a home football game on its campus since 2019. 

Tickets

• Fans can secure their tickets ahead of the game or on-site by purchasing them online at the Fighting Muskies' official ticketing page found at fightingmuskies.com/athletics/tickets or via the HomeTown Ticketing mobile app available through the App Store or Google Play. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students, and children 5-and-under are free.