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MOREHEAD, Ky.—Morehead State racked up 609 yards of total offense en route to a 37-15 Pioneer Football League win over Valparaiso Saturday afternoon at Jayne Stadium.
The Eagles tallied 345 yards through the air, a season-high 264 yards on the ground and 34 total first downs, one shy of the PFL record. It was the most yards of offense since a 679-yard output by the 2005 team over Austin Peay, eclipsing a 512-yard game earlier this season.
Defensively the Eagles were just as good, holding Valpo to 124 yards of offense, including -26 on the ground. MSU had seven sacks, 12 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and nine pass break-ups.
Keaton May had seven tackles, six of which were solo, and
Jerome Raymond had 3.5 tackles for loss, all of which were sacks.
Kameron Scott registered four pass break-ups.
“We did a lot right today,” Coach
Matt Ballard said. “The main thing is that we took command and control of the interior line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Each and every given week, that’s usually where the game is won or lost. I’m just very pleased with the way our offensive line and defensive line came off the football and took charge and control."
The win snapped a two-game skid for MSU and improved the Eagles to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the PFL.
Neither team wanted to hold onto the ball in the first half. There were six first half fumbles, five of which resulted in turnovers. There were a total of eight fumbles in the game, six of which were lost and an interception for seven total turnovers between the two teams.
Those fumbles ended two first-quarter Morehead State drives, but sandwiched between those was a
Rainer Duzan 26-yard field goal, MSU’s only score in the first quarter.
Following its third lost fumble to start the second quarter, a pair of MSU touchdowns gave the Eagles a commanding 17-0 halftime lead. Morehead State took advantage of a Kevin Becker catch and fumble at midfield and drove 50 yards in eight plays to score on a 8-yard
Desmond Cox rush. Quarterback
Zach Lewis and Cox set up the second score with a 61-yard pass and scamper down the right sideline to the Valpo 11-yard line. Lewis completed a pass to
Donte Sawyer for 10 yards and then scored on a 1-yard QB keeper.
Lewis caught
Ronnie McDermott on a 22-yard pass over the middle and Cox rushed the ball for 25 yards to set up MSU’s next touchdown following the second-half kickoff. Cox, who finished the day with a season-high 124 yards, scored on the next play, a two-yard plunge that put the Eagles up 24-0.
Morehead State stopped Valpo on their next possession, forcing Greg Wood into one of his nine punts, but Lewis, trying to get rid of the ball on MSU’s first play as the pocket collapsed, was intercepted by Eli Crawford and returned for a touchdown.
The Eagles responded with a 10-play, 64-yard drive that was capped by a 21-yard Duzan field goal. Duzan added a 37-yarder at the beginning of the fourth quarter too.
The Crusaders tried to start a rally with a series of Eric Lemon passes that went 85 yards in nine plays for a Lemon to Travis Anderson touchdown. Lemon found Bobby Wysocki on a two-point conversion try and the Crusaders pulled within two scores.
Valparaiso’s onside kick was recovered by Donte Sawyer, ending the comeback bid.
Evan Sawyer, playing in relief of Lewis for the third straight game, made sure the rally was dead with a 43-yard scoring drive that was finished with a 14-yard pass to Brennan Sargent for a touchdown.
Lewis finished with 317 yards through the air, his fifth 300-yard game this season. McDermott and Donte Sawyer each caught six passes, collecting 66 and 43 yards respectively.
The Crusaders, whose bye week is next week, finish the season winless at 0-11 overall and 0-8 in the PFL.
The Eagles close out 2010 with a home date against Campbell with kick-off set for 1 p.m. MSU will recognize the seniors playing in their final game.
“It’s going to be a special and emotional week because it is senior day,” Ballard said. “We’ve got to focus in and we’ve got to have a great week of preparation. We know very sound football team coming in here.”
