Box Score

The Malone University football team fell 28-7 at Saint Ambrose (IA) University on Saturday afternoon as the Fighting Bees used a 21-point third quarter to pull away for the victory. The two squads went to the locker room at halftime tied 7-7 before Saint Ambrose pulled ahead with a 15-play, 76-yard touchdown drive on its opening possession of the second half. A pair of costly Pioneer turnovers then led to two more quick scores, giving the Bees a three-touchdown advantage with a little over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. This 21-point cushion was more than Malone could overcome against the stingy Saint Ambrose defense as the hosts held the Pioneers off the scoreboard the rest of the way en route to the 28-7 victory. The Bees, members of the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League, improved to 2-0 with the win while Malone, a MSFA Mideast League member, dropped to 0-2.

Interceptions brought each of Saint Ambrose's first two drives of the game to a halt. Defensive back John Pearson snagged the first at the Malone one-yard line. Then, after the Pioneers were forced to punt, defensive back Jordan Scott gave Malone an early 7-0 lead after picking off a deflected pass and returning it 65 yards for a touchdown.

The Bees answered back later in the first quarter, knotting the game at 7-7 after a quick six-play, 78-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a five-yard dash across the goal line by SAU running back Zach McCalester.

The score remained unchanged until running back Brandon Heard concluded Saint Ambrose's lengthy drive at the start of the third quarter with a two-yard TD plunge. The Bees then got the ball right back as a Pioneer fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave Saint Ambrose a first and ten at the Malone 43-yard line. The hosts capitalized on the good field position, pulling ahead 21-7 with a six-play drive that culminated on a 21-yard TD pass from Bee quarterback Danny Tharp to wide receiver Michael Hayward.

Saint Ambrose delivered a final sting 90 seconds later as defensive back James Hannah-White picked off a Pioneer pass and sprinted 35 yards to the endzone to give the Bees the commanding 28-7 advantage.

Malone refused to surrender, taking the ball and driving to the Saint Ambrose 1-yard line on its next possession. However, the Bees managed to stop the Pioneers on downs inside the 1, preventing Malone from trimming the deficit.

Saint Ambrose totaled 471 yards of offense (188 rushing yards, 283 passing yards) on the afternoon compared to 227 total yards (203 rushing, 24 passing) for the Pioneers. The Bees also tallied a 28-13 advantage in total first downs, allowed Malone to convert on just two of 12 third-downs and held an over 15-minute advantage in time of possession.

For the Pioneers, quarterback Mike Karls gained 76 rushing yards on four attempts. Running back Markus McFolling picked up 75 rushing yards on 17 carries while wide receiver Matt Kiel caught three passes for 20 yards. Defensive back Isaiah Wyatt led the way on defense with 14 total tackles. Linebacker Antonio Scassa followed with 13 stops and an interception. Linebacker Matt Vick posted 10 tackles while defensive linemen Cody Carroll and Frank McCormick registered 1.5 sacks apiece. In addition to his big interception, Scott also made four tackles and forced a fumble near the Malone goal line that prevented a Saint Ambrose touchdown in the fourth quarter.

For the Bees, Tharp completed 27 of 37 passes for 283 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Heard gained 97 rushing yards on 16 attempts with one TD. Hayward totaled nine catches for 107 yards and a touchdown while defensive lineman Joey Carioti paced the defense with seven tackles.

Malone will look to bounce back on Saturday as the squad hosts its home opener against Anna Maria (MA) College (0-2). Kickoff at Fawcett Stadium is slated for 2:00 p.m.