Box Score  

The Malone University football team endured a tough 34-7 road loss to rival Walsh University at Fawcett Stadium on Saturday night.  Five Pioneer turnovers (three fumbles, two interceptions) and 319 Cavalier rushing yards proved to be too much for Malone to overcome on a cool autumn evening in front of 2100 fans at Pro Football Hall of Fame Field.

The Pioneers slipped to 1-4 overall and 1-4 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) with the defeat.  Walsh, meanwhile, picked up its first conference victory, improving to 2-4 overall and 1-4 in the GLIAC.

Malone's defense allowed the Cavaliers to complete just two of seven pass attempts on the evening, picking off two throws and limiting Walsh to only 42 yards through the air.  However, it was a different story on the ground as the Cavaliers tallied five rushing touchdowns and averaged 5.9 yards per carry on 54 rushing attempts.  Walsh running back Toba Olarewaju accounted for four of the five scores, ending the night with 195 rushing yards on 28 carries.

The Pioneers netted 284 yards of total offense and picked up 16 first downs over the course of the game, but managed to convert on just five of 18 third-down attempts and had four offensive possessions halted by turnovers.

After a scoreless first quarter, Walsh broke through with three quick scores in the second period to take a 21-0 advantage into the locker room at halftime. 

Olarewaju got things started in the early stages of the second quarter by dashing through a hole on the left side of the offensive line and racing 40 yards down the sideline for his first rushing touchdown of the evening.  A four-yard TD run by quarterback Jack Dawson then capped a nine-play, 64-yard drive on Walsh's next possession, giving the Cavs a 14-0 advantage.

Following a Walsh kickoff, Malone fumbled on the first play of its ensuing drive, giving the ball back to the Cavaliers on the Pioneer 15-yard line.  Despite a 15-yard illegal block penalty, the Cavaliers managed to cash in on the Malone fumble as Olarewaju plunged into the end zone on third and goal from the Pioneer one-yard line, stretching the lead to 21-0 with just under four minutes to play in the first half.

Malone's best first-half scoring chance came midway through the first quarter after defensive back Lloyd Phillips forced and then recovered a fumble by the Walsh punt returner on the Cavaliers' 15-yard line.  The Pioneers narrowly missed out on a touchdown on their first play following the turnover as a play-action pass attempt into the end zone tipped off the outstretched hands of a Malone receiver who had gotten behind the Walsh defense.  Two plays later, the Pioneers lost a fumble, giving the ball back to the Cavaliers on their own 17-yard line.

Despite Walsh's three quick touchdowns in the second quarter, the Pioneers managed to fight back into the game in the early stages of the second half, pulling to within 21-7 with a little over a minute remaining in the third quarter when quarterback Will Szpor connected with wide receiver Justin McLean on a 51-yard touchdown pass.

Walsh immediately stole the momentum away on its next play from scrimmage, though, as Olarewaju took a handoff from Dawson and sprinted up the middle for a 57-yard touchdown run.

The turnover bug then bit the Pioneers once again on the ensuing kickoff as a fumbled kick return gave the ball back to the Cavaliers on the Malone 15-yard line.  Three plays later, Olarewaju added Walsh's final TD of the contest with an eight-yard carry that ended just inside the far pylon.

Running back Malik Felton paced the Pioneer offense with 88 rushing yards on 15 attempts.  Szpor completed 12 of 22 passes for 164 yards with one touchdown and one interception.  Wide receiver AT Turner notched seven catches for 71 yards.

Phillips made four tackles and accounted for all three Cavalier turnovers, snagging two interceptions to go with his forced fumble and fumble recovery.  Defensive back Logan Francis and linebacker Antonio Scassa each notched nine tackles apiece.  Defensive back Demarco Donaldson added seven tackles and a forced fumble.  Defensive linemen Frank McCormick and Brock Lundeen each totaled seven tackles.

Cameron Trudell led the way for the Walsh defense with 13 total tackles.  Cory Farcas added six stops and posted two of the Cavaliers' four sacks.

Prior to the start of Saturday's contest, McCormick was recognized as the Pioneers' recipient of the Dick Gallagher Memorial Scholarship.  Each year, one football player from Malone and one football player from Walsh receive the award which is named in honor of Gallagher, the former director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Pioneers will look to bounce back next Saturday when they travel to Lake Erie College (1-5 overall, 1-4 GLIAC) for a 1:00 p.m. contest.  Fans can catch all of the action on the Malone Sports Network (radio broadcast on WNPQ 95.9 FM or streaming live audio on the internet at www.thelight959.com).