The game was delayed 30 minutes due to an electrical problem
near campus that knocked out the stadium lights and scoreboard and
that was the only thing that slowed down the Purple Raiders.
Cecil Shorts III (Cleveland/Collinwood) had 107 yards receiving
and matched his career-high as he caught three touchdown passes
from Kurt Rocco (Cincinnati/Roger Bacon).
Scott Panchik (Natrona Heights, PA/Highlands) had his second
straight 100-yard rushing game with 107 yards on 19 carries.
Meanwhile the defense allowed the Muskies just 19 rushing and 30
passing yards, had three sacks and Roger Stewart III
(Pleasantville/Fairfield Union) had an interception.
All of this happened in the first 30 minutes.
Rocco finished the game with 256 yards passing
(11-for-17). Fellow quarterback NealSeaman
(Louisville/Louisville) went 11-for-13 from 76 yards as the duo
combined for 332 yards through the air and hit seven different
receivers including Vince Petruziello (Mentor/Lake Catholic) who
had seven catches for a game-high 124 yards.
The offense finished with 575 yards, while the Mount Union
defense surrendered 206 yards, posted six quarterback sacks and an
interception. Lambert Budzinski (Canton/Massillon Jackson)
had a team-high six tackles.
Rocco and Shorts hooked up the first time from eight yards out
on the Raiders first possession of the game to make it 7-0.
Panchik then dove in from a yard out to cap a 13 play, 68-yard
drive with 11:56 to play in the second quarter sending to 14-0.
After recovering a kickoff, Terrance Morring (Sanford, FL/Winter
Springs) then got into the act with his first rushing score of the
season from two yards out finishing off a 28 yard drive and making
the lead 21-0.
Rocco then struck twice in final two minutes of the half as
Shorts caught passes from 43 and 33 yards to give the Raiders a
35-0 lead at the half.
The only scoring in the third quarter was a 37-yard field goal
by Jay Carpenter (Fairmont, WV/Fairmont) that sent the score to
38-0.
Muskingum (0-3, 0-2 OAC) got on the board on the first play of
the fourth quarter as Demetrius Bailey caught a one-yard scoring
pass from Jake Burns.
Zac Lemmon (Granville/Granville) was the third Raider running
back to find the end zone as he scored a three yard run.
Burns threw another a touchdown pass for the Muskies, a
21-yarder to Dwight Sutton, for the 45-14 final.
Mount Union (3-0, 2-0 OAC) next hosts Baldwin-Wallace Saturday,
Oct. 3 at 7 pm for homecoming at Mount Union Stadium.
NOTES – This game will be replayed on television on WIVM
Ch. 52 (Canton) at 11 pm Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 27 at 4 pm and
on regional cable channel SportsTime Ohio on Sunday at 4:30 pm and
Monday, Sept. 28 at noon.
