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The Malone University football team wrapped up its 2011 season on Saturday afternoon at Fawcett Stadium with 27-13 loss to Taylor (IN) University.  The Trojans led 13-0 at halftime and then managed to maintain at least a seven-point advantage over the remainder of the contest, putting the game away with a pair of lengthy fourth-quarter touchdown drives.  With the hard-fought loss on Senior Day, Malone concluded the year with a 4-7 overall record.  Taylor, meanwhile, snapped a three-game losing streak, ending the season with a mark of 5-5.

Saturday's contest remained scoreless until the latter stages of the second quarter.  A 44-yard punt return by Taylor defensive back Brett Currens helped set up the first touchdown of the game, giving the Trojan offense a first-and-ten on the Pioneer 15-yard line.  The visitors then cashed in on the good field position four plays later as running back Taylor Johnson plunged into the end zone from a yard out to make the score 7-0 with just over three minutes to play in the half.

The Trojans then tacked on another score moments later when defensive back Nick Gathrite picked off a Malone pass attempt and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown, making the score 13-0 (PAT was blocked by Pioneer defensive back John Boston).  The second-quarter turnover gave Gathrite seven interceptions on the season and it marked the third time in 2011 that he had returned a pick for a TD.

The turnover bug then continued to bite both teams at the start of the third quarter as the first six possessions of the second half ended with either a fumble or an interception.

Taylor forced and recovered fumbles on Malone's first three drives of the third period.  However, the Trojans gave the ball back to the Pioneers each time.  Defensive back Lepear Smith forced the first two Taylor turnovers of the second half with a fumble recovery and an interception.  Boston then concluded the turnover barrage and put Malone on the scoreboard when he scooped up a fumble at the Taylor 4-yard line and returned to the end zone, trimming the deficit to 13-6 (PAT was blocked).

Johnson pushed the visitors' advantage to 20-6 early in the fourth quarter as he capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game, this time from 31 yards out.

Malone was quickly able to answer back on its ensuing possession as a 44-yard kickoff return by Pioneer wide receiver Justin McLean helped set up running back Daryon Mosley's 36-yard touchdown run.

Taylor would not let Malone get any closer, though, as the Trojans took the ball and marched 96 yards on their next drive, pushing the lead back to 13 points on quarterback Nick Freeman's eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Tomaszewski with 8:04 showing on the clock.

The Pioneers' final two possessions each ended with a turnover on downs and Taylor then ran out the clock to cement the victory.

Malone totaled 337 total yards over the course of the afternoon with 145 yards rushing and 192 passing.  The Trojans countered with 320 total yards, 229 on the ground and 91 through the air.  Each team committed a total of four turnovers.

McLean ended the day with 11 catches for 124 yards. He also posted 68 kickoff-return yards for a total all-purpose output of 192 yards.  McLean concluded the 2011 season with an average of 30.7 yards on his 31 kickoff returns.  This impressive mark broke the previous single-season average kick-off return record of 25.7 yards per attempt which was established by Leif Erickson in 1999.

Tight end Drew Bond hauled in five catches for 24 yards in the contest while senior wide receiver Ryan Murphy concluded his Pioneer playing career with two catches for 43 yards.

Quarterback Will Szpor completed 19 of his 37 passes on the afternoon for 192 yards.  Mosley picked up 88 rushing yards on 13 attempts, including the 36-yard TD run.

On defense, Boston totaled four total tackles to go with his blocked extra point and fumble recovery for a TD.  Linebacker Antonio Scassa tallied a team-high nine total tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss.  Defensive back Glen Raphael had four pass break-ups, five tackles and an interception.  Smith registered four tackles in addition to notching the third-quarter interception and fumble recovery.

For Taylor, running back Jake Fidler posted 80 yards on just nine carries, including a 73-yard rush that helped set up the Trojans' final score of the day.  Johnson added 79 rushing yards on 19 attempts.  Freeman completed nine of 20 passes for 73 yards.  Linebacker Garrett Wheeler led the way for the Taylor defense with a game-high 14 tackles and one fumble recovery.