Football falls against rival Marietta in annual Shriner Game

Football falls against rival Marietta in annual Shriner Game

The Muskingum football team fell against Ohio Athletic Conference rival Marietta in the annual Shriner Game on a hot Saturday afternoon in Marietta, 49-25. Muskingum is now 7-2 all-time in the Shriner series.

The Basics

  • Records: Muskingum (1-3 overall, 0-3 OAC), Marietta (2-1 overall, 1-1 OAC)
  • Location: Marietta, Ohio - Don Drumm Stadium
  • Weather: 88 degrees and sunny

First Quarter

  • Muskingum struck first on its opening possession of the game with a six-play, 42-yard drive that ended with freshman quarterback Brody Hahn scoring on a three-yard run. The extra point was blocked and the Muskies led 6-0.
  • Marietta answered with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Darrien Fields to Andrew Barker to give the Pioneers a 7-6 lead. The score capped off a six-play, 60-yard drive.
  • The Muskies orchestrated a nine-play, 60-yard drive to regain the lead on sophomore running back Bernard Johnson's 24-yard touchdown reception from Hahn. After a second blocked extra point, Muskingum led 12-7.
  • Marietta captured the lead for good on Roger Walker's 25-yard run to give the Pioneers a 14-12 edge at the end of the opening frame.

Second Quarter

  • Following a fumble on the ensuing kickoff by the Muskies, Marietta recovered it and scored five plays later to take a 21-12 lead.
  • Muskingum used a 12-play, 75-yard drive to trim its deficit to 21-19. Johnson ended the drive with a five-yard touchdown run.
  • Marietta responded with a 48-yard touchdown pass from Fields to Maguire Morris to give the Pioneers a 28-19 lead with 5:45 left in the half.
  • Muskingum completed the scoring in the first half on Johnson's third score of the game. He scampered in from 11 yards to trim the Muskie gap to 28-25 (PAT failed) heading into the break.

Third Quarter

  • The offensive onslaught in the first half cooled in the third quarter with neither team able to score. 

Fourth Quarter

  • The Pioneers pulled away in the fourth quarter outscoring the Muskies 21-0 in the final frame. 
  • Marietta's final strike was a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown by Marquese Moore. The defensive score halted Muskingum's late scoring drive.

Inside The Numbers

  • Muskingum racked up 352 yards of offense and 23 first downs. Marietta had 427 yards of offense and 20 first downs.
  • The Muskies were 3-of-5 in the red zone and ended the outing 5-of-13 on third-down conversions. The Pioneers were 2-of-2 in the red zone and 4-of-11 on third-down conversions.
  • Hahn ended the game going 15-of-30 for 184 yards, one score and two interceptions. He also rushed for 75 yards and one score.
  • Johnson rushed for 75 yards and two scores on 23 totes. He hauled in six receptions for 75 yards and one touchdown.
  • Senior wide out Damon Jones had six grabs for 72 yards.
  • Freshman defensive back Brian Brown and sophomore Cle'Von Burch led the Muskie defensive effort with nine stops each.
  • Fields led the Marietta offense going 17-of-22 for 244 yards, three scores and one interception. He also rushed for 10 yards and one score.
  • Walker led the rushing attack with 134 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.
  • Andrew Barker led all receivers with 101 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
  • Eric Klopfenstein recorded a game-high 10 tackles for the Pioneers.

Up Next

  • Muskingum returns to the friendly confines of McConagha Stadium to host Heidelberg on Saturday, September 30. Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m. and will feature live audio, stats and HD video on fightingmuskies.com.