HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Jon Murray, Jr. rushed for a game-high 99 yards and four touchdowns to lead Baldwin Wallace University to 45-24 non-conference football road win at Hampden-Sydney College on Saturday afternoon on Fulton Field at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. It was the season-opening game as the visiting Yellow Jackets (1-0) led 24-10 at halftime against the host Tigers (0-1).
BWU took its opening possession 66 yards on nine plays with Murray scoring on a three-yard run at 8:43 of the first quarter. Dean Sarris added the first of his six PATs for the early 7-0 advantage. H-SC answered right back with a touchdown on its second possession of the game. Senior quarterback and team captain Tanner Bernard (Lynchburg) found fifth-year wide receiver and second-year team captain Dillon Costello (Haymarket) over the middle for a 68-yard scoring strike at 8:04 of the quarter. Junior placekicker Jack Breedlove (Atlanta, GA) added the first of his three PATs and the contest was tied at 7-7, following the two-play, 70-yard drive. Sarris kicked a 35-yard field goal at 2:48 of the opening quarter, and the Yellow Jackets led 10-7 after 15 minutes.
Murray added short touchdown runs of five yards and two yards in the second quarter, sandwiched around a 31-yard field goal by Breedlove, and the visitors led 24-10 at the intermission. Murray's first TD came at 13:32 of the quarter and capped a 12-play, 60-yard drive, while the second TD came at 4:28 and finished a six-play, 21-yard possession. Breedlove's field goal, the first of his collegiate career at the College, split the uprights at 11:29 and completed a seven-play, 36-yard drive by the hosts.
Murray had his fourth rushing touchdown early in the third quarter at 12:28, scoring from 11 yards out to cap a five-play, 60-yard drive to begin the quarter. Sophomore wide receiver Iceysis Lewis (Radiant) returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards, and a personal foul penalty on BWU moved the ball to the visitor 41. A roughing the passer penalty on the next play placed the ball at the 26, and sophomore running back Josh Jones (South Hill) promptly ran the 26 yards to the end zone for the touchdown at 12:02—making it 31-17. Keagan Armitage added a one-yard scoring run with 2:02 left in the third, and the Yellow Jackets led 38-17 after the nine-play, 47-yard possession.
BWU added a final touchdown on the ground in the fourth quarter when Gino Fornaro scored on a three-yard run with 11:03 remaining. It was a two-play, 55-yard drive that included a 52-yard pass-play from Armitage to Darius Stokes. The Tigers closed the scoring in the final minute when sophomore quarterback Andrew Puccinelli (Glen Allen) connected with classmate and wide receiver Brice Wilson (Lovingston) on a three-yard shovel pass touchdown with just 38-seconds left to play. The late score finished a 22-play, 73-yard drive by the hosts.
Bernard passed for 127 yards (12-18) and one touchdown with no interceptions, adding 16 yards on the ground. Puccinelli passed for 41 yards (8-12) and one touchdown with no interceptions. Jones rushed for a collegiate-best 78 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown, adding 28 yards receiving on five catches. Junior slot back Talen Smith (Ruther Glen) added 25 yards rushing on four carries, adding five catches for 25 yards receiving. Costello had two catches for 76 yards and one touchdown, while Wilson added one reception for three yards and one touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Braeden Bowling (Cary, NC) added five catches for 25 yards, as well.
Sophomore punter George Langhammer (Roanoke) punted five times for an average of 44.4 yards, including a collegiate-best of 67 yards. Bernard punted one time for 43 yards. Lewis contributed four kick returns for 80 yards, including the 36-yarder.
Sophomore safety Will Pickren (Mt Pleasant, SC) finished with 12 tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss. Fifth-year linebacker and team captain Brendan Weinberg (Apex, NC) added 11 tackles, including two for loss. Junior safety Hunter Spence (Colonial Heights) and sophomore safety James-Ryan Salvi (Troutville) added collegiate-bests of eight and six tackles, respectively, with Spence having 0.5 tackles for loss.
Armitage passed for a game-high 208 yards (17-22) with no interceptions, adding six rushes for 30 yards and one touchdown on the ground for BWU. Murray finished with his game-high 99 yards on 21 carries and four touchdowns, while Fornaro had 18 yards on six carries and one touchdown. Stokes finished with five receptions for a game-high 116 yards receiving for the Yellow Jackets. Nick Pankow had a game-high 14 tackles, including two tackles for loss and one sack, while Mason Levasseur added eight tackles, including two for loss and one sack, as well.
H-SC will play on the road at Widener University next Saturday, September 11, at 1 p.m. in Chester, Pennsylvania.