Oct 20, 2018
OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Junior wide receiver Chaz Lyles threw for two touchdowns, rushed for one and had a TD reception as Stevenson downed Wilkes 33-21 in Middle Atlantic Conference football at a sold-out Mustang Stadium Saturday afternoon for Homecoming.
FIRST QUARTER
- After the two teams traded empty opening drives, Stevenson (6-2, 5-1 MAC) went 81 yards in 11 plays, and a 14-yard rush on a direct snap to Lyles on fourth-and-1 put the Mustangs up 6-0 with 4:52 left in the quarter.
- Earlier in the drive, Lyles had a 24-yard reception from Ty Crabb.
- Stevenson outgained Wilkes 102-31 in the opening period.
SECOND QUARTER
- Wilkes (4-4, 3-3 MAC) went 45 yards in six plays and a four-yard completion from Jose Tabora to Jason Wiley put the Colonels up 7-6 with 11:20 left before halftime.
- Stevenson's ensuing drive stalled out at midfield, but a Wilkes player muffed the catch attempt on the punt and was recovered by Vincent Lee at the 6.
- One play later, Lyles threw a six-yard completion to Titus Johnson to put the Mustangs up 13-7 at the 8:32 mark.
- Wilkes moved down to the Mustang 21, but on second-and-10, a pass from Tabora was deflected by Brody Coleman.
- On the next play, Coleman came up with an interception on the Mustang 2 with 3:26 left.
- After a 53-yard completion from Crabb to Sebastien Vainqueur to move Stevenson to Colonel territory on the first play of the drive, Lyles completed his second pass of the day, a 45-yard strike to Johnson after he took a lateral from Crabb, to make it 20-7 with 2:50 to go.
- Starting at their own 23, Wilkes moved down to Stevenson's 23 and appeared poised to score as Tabora completed a pass to Jeff Steeber, who got to the 2. Brian Latham put a hit on Steeber and forced a fumble, which he recovered in the end zone with 12 seconds left.
THIRD QUARTER
- Stevenson recovered its own kickoff to start the half, as Branden Ribeiro's kick went off a Colonel player and was recovered by Brad Kinckner at the Wilkes 46.
- It took four plays for Stevenson to score, as Crabb found Lyles for a 36-yard completion and a 26-7 lead with 1:48 gone in the half.
- The Colonels responded with a nine-play, 79-yard drive capped by a 30-yard Tabora rush to cut the Mustang lead to 26-14 with 8:23 to go.
- A Mustang fumble on the first play after the kickoff put Wilkes at the Stevenson 15, but after an eight-yard completion on the first Colonel play of the drive, Coleman came up with his second interception of the game in the end zone.
FOURTH QUARTER
- Stevenson came up with its sixth takeaway of the game with 9:41 left as Don Jones and Jake Clayton sacked Tabora at the Wilkes 14 and the fumble was recovered by Hanif Jones.
- On 3rd-and-12 from the 16, Crabb's 16-yard completion with 8:17 left to Lee extended Stevenson's lead to 33-14.
- After taking over at midfield following the kickoff, Wilkes needed one play, a 49-yard strike from Tabora to Nick Yanik, to again slash the lead to 12 with exactly 8:00 left.
- After Stevenson ran 2:58 off the clock on a 25-yard drive, Wilkes turned it over on downs, and the Mustangs were able to run out the cock over the final 3:59.
- Stevenson held the ball for 13:10 in the final quarter.
NUMBERS AND NOTES
- Lyles finished with 11 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, four runs for 41 yards and a score, and was 2-2 passing for 51 yards and two TDs.
- Crabb finished 21-26 passing for 229 yards and a pair of passing touchdowns.
- Johnson finished with three receptions for 56 yards and two scores and carried six times for 19 yards.
- The Mustangs outgained Wilkes 377-352, including 97-52 on the ground.
- Stevenson recorded its third straight victory and its sixth in the last seven games.
- Stevenson had a takeaway on defense for the 63rd straight game, recovering four Wilkes fumbles and posting a pair of interceptions. The six takeaways were the most since the 2016 season opener against North Carolina Wesleyan, when the defense also forced six turnovers.
- Mike Datu finished with nine tackles for Stevenson, including 1.5 tackles for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
- Jones had six tackles, which included a pair of sacks, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
- Izaiha Pitts, Zach May and Ashton Leschke all finished with six tackles apiece.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Chaz Lyles' six-yard completion to Titus Johnson put Stevenson up 13-7 in the second quarter.
WHAT THEY SAID
WHAT'S NEXT
- After its bye week, Stevenson travels to Lycoming on Saturday, November 3 for a noon kickoff.
- The Mustangs round out the regular season Saturday, November 10 when they host FDU-Florham for a noon contest on Senior Day.