Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
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Time of Poss.
ALLIANCE, Ohio — No. 3 ranked Mount Union used several big plays to defeat Marietta College 55-7 Saturday (Sept. 17) afternoon in Ohio Athletic Conference football action. The Purple Raiders improve to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the OAC, while Marietta slips to 1-1 and 0-1.
Mount Union scored five touchdowns on plays of 30 yards or more in the game. The Purple Raiders received the opening kickoff and needed just three plays to grab the lead. Braxton Plunk connected with Deandre Parker on a 58-yard scoring strike just over two minutes into the game.
After forcing the Pioneers to punt, Mount Union wasted no time doubling their lead. Plunk and Parker hooked up again, this time for 47 yards, and the Purple Raiders were leading 14-0 less than five minutes off the clock.
The teams traded punts and Marietta took over on its own 28-yard line. A short rush by Bryve Agnew and an incomplete pass left the Pioneers with third and long. Connor Viertsra threw a perfect strike to Dre Baldwin who broke loose for a 70-yard touchdown and after Lucas Shepherd made the point after the Navy Blue and White was back in the game down 14-7.
Mount Union pulled away with 17 unanswered points in the second quarter. Plunk threw touchdown passes to Wayne Ruby, Jr. and Jaden Manley and Thomas Piccirillo added a 21-yatd field goal giving the Purple Raiders a 31-7 lead at halftime.
Plunk and Ruby connected on two more scoring strikes in the second half and backup quarterback, Noah Beaudrie, threw one touchdown pass to Edwin Reed as the Purple Raiders extended the lead to 55-7.
Plunk completed 29-of-39 passes for 496 yards and six touchdowns. Ruby caught 10 passes for 137 yards and three scores, while Parker had five catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Parker was Mount Union's leading rusher with 33 yards on 12 carries.
Vierstra completed 11-of-25 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown. He was picked off twice. Baldwin caught two passes for 70 yards and one score, while Dawson Snyder had four catches for 34 yards. Agnew finished with 47 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Marietta travels to Westerville next Saturday (Sept. 24) for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff at Otterbein.