Football suffers heartbreaking loss on final play of game
The Muskingum football team suffered a heartbreaking loss on the final play of the game against Heidelberg on Saturday. The Student Princes kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired to escape New Concord with a 20-17 win.
Heidelberg
3-1
20
Muskingum
3-2
17
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
|
|
0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Heidelberg
Pa:
Drew Sims
- 171
Ru:
M. Yearby
- 198
Rec:
Oliver Kelleher
- 71
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Heidelberg | Muskingum |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 191 | 160 |
| Rushing Yards | 208 | 177 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 23:24 | 36:36 |
September 30, 2023
The Muskingum football team suffered a heartbreaking loss on the final play of the game against Heidelberg on Saturday. The Student Princes kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired to escape New Concord with a 20-17 win.
The Basics
- Records: Muskingum (3-2 overall, 2-2 OAC), Heidelberg (3-1 overall, 2-1 OAC)
- Location: Bullock Health and Wellness Complex - New Concord, Ohio
- Attendance: 1,056
Notables
- Muskingum sophomore running back Donald Francis and sophomore linebacker Garrett Gurney were named the Wally's Pizza Players of the Game. Francis rushed for a career-high 115 yards and one touchdown. Gurney led the team in tackles with 10 and notched one sack.
How it Happened
- Heidelberg faked a punt on a fourth and 10 from its own 27-yard line with less than a minute to play to set up the eventual game-winning 20-yard field goal. Griffin Pendry rumbled for 25 yards to give the Student Princes a first down and fresh momentum with the clock winding down.
Inside the Numbers
- Muskingum ended the outing with 337 yards of offense and 19 first downs.
- Muskingum controlled the clock, racking up a huge 36:36-23:24 time of possession advantage.
- Muskingum ended the game going 3-for-3 in the red zone with two touchdowns and one field goal.
- Senior quarterback Doug Crawford went 14-of-23 for 148 yards with one interception. He also added 21 yards rushing and one score.
- Sophomore running back Donald Francis rushed for a career-high 115 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries.
- Senior receiver Ja'Lin Goodman had four grabs for 59 yards.
- Senior receiver Travanti Keitt and senior tight end Gannon Unger each had three receptions.
- Sophomore linebacker Garrett Gurney recorded 10 tackles, with two tackles for loss and one sack.
- Freshman linebacker Ekyri Williams notched nine stops.
- Junior defensive lineman Toleo Malone had five hits and one sack for 12 yards.
- Montavious Yearby led Heidelberg with 198 yards rushing on 27 carries with one touchdown.
- Drew Sims passes for 171 yards and one score on 12-of-22 passing with one interception.
- Oliver Kelleher led Heidelberg with four grabs for 71 yards.
- Easton St. Clair had a game-high 12 tackles with one sack.
- Isaiah Kammer added nine hits and one sack.
- Heidelberg ended the game with 399 yards of offense and 20 first downs.
Up Next
- Muskingum next hosts Baldwin Wallace for its 101st Homecoming on Saturday, October 14. The game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Bullock Health and Wellness Complex.
