Senior Day Showdown: Muskies Push No. 3 Mount Union to the Brink in 35-28 Thriller

Muskingum football celebrated its seniors with a performance to remember, challenging third-ranked Mount Union to the final whistle in a narrow 35-28 defeat.

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (5-5 overall, 4-5 OAC), Mount Union (10-0 overall, 9-0 OAC)
• Location: Bullock Health and Wellness Complex - New Concord, Ohio
• Attendance: 1,578

Notables

• Muskingum recognized 24 senior players and two senior cheerleaders before the start of the game.
• Sophomore wide receiver Davion Grant set the school record for receptions in a season with 71. Grant also holds the record for receiving yards in a season with 1,123.
• Senior receiver Travanti Keitt is second all-time for receptions in a season with 66. Keitt also ranks second all-time in career receptions with 147. Keitt also ranks fourth all-time for receiving yards in a season with 818 and sixth all-time in career receiving yards with 1,768.
• Senior linebacker Austin Willforth ended his career ranked 14th all-time in tackles with 246.
• Muskingum's 28 points were the most the Muskies have scored against the Purple Raiders since 1963, when Muskingum scored 33 points.
• This marks Muskingum's third five-win season in the last four seasons.

How it Happened

• After trailing 14-0, Muskingum orchestrated a 13-play, 80-yard drive in the final two minutes of the first half that culminated with junior quarterback Garrett Gurney hitting sophomore receiver O'Darius King for a two-yard touchdown pass to enter halftime down 14-7. 
• Muskingum tied the game at 14-14 midway through the third quarter after a nine-play, 84-yard drive that ended with a Gurney five-yard touchdown run.
• Mount Union took the lead in the waning seconds of the third quarter on Tyler Echeverry's seven-yard touchdown run.
• Muskingum answered with a 14-play, 74-yard drive, resulting in a Gurney one-yard run to tie the game at 21-21 with 9:29 to play.
• Echeverry scored back-to-back touchdown runs to push the Purple Raider lead to 35-21 with two minutes to play.
• The Muskies charged back and capped off a five-play, 48-yard drive with a Gurney 17-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Travis Roberson to trim their deficit to 35-28 with 55 seconds to play.
• Muskingum recovered the onside kick attempt, but the Muskies were flagged for touching the ball too soon, and Mount Union was able to escape New Concord.

Inside the Numbers

• Muskingum ended the game with 432 yards of offense and 26 first downs.
• Muskingum held a 31:09-28:51 edge in time of possession and was 4-of-5 in the red zone with four touchdowns.
• Gurney went 30-of-52 with 303 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 44 yards rushing and two scores.
• Junior running back Chandler Ross rushed for 85 yards on 12 totes and had six receptions for 41 yards.
• Grant had nine receptions for 130 yards.
• Roberson had six grabs for 50 yards and one score.
• Keitt had five receptions for 55 yards.
• Junior kicker Aaron Meyers was 4-of-4 in extra-point attempts and averaged 59.5 yards per kickoff.
• Junior linebacker Martavious Johnson had eight tackles.
• Junior linebacker Conner Gurney had eight stops and one sack.
• Freshman defensive back Markeis Andrews had seven hits.
• Senior defensive lineman Toleo Malone had seven tackles and one for loss.
• Mount Union ended the game with 481 yards of offense and 27 first downs.
• Echeverry rushed for 159 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries.
• TJ Deshields passed for 273 yards on one score on 18-of-27 passing with one interception.
• Tyrell Sanders led the Mount receivers with six receptions for 130 yards.
• Weston Arthur, Rossy Moore, and Marcus Jackson all had eight tackles.