The Malone University football team fell to 3-7 on the season and 0-2 in the Great Midwest Conference (G-MAC) after suffering a 40-30 setback to Kentucky Wesleyan College Saturday afternoon in Owensboro.
 
Coming into the game, the biggest question marks for the Pioneers were if they could protect the football and if they could cover All-American receiver Keelan Cole. The answer to both questions was a resounding no as Malone committed four turnovers and Cole torched the defense for four touchdowns during the Panthers' Senior Day.
 
Malone took an early lead during Saturday's contest with a 42-yard field goal on the game's opening possession. The Panthers responded, however, just moments later with the first of many big plays. Keelan Cole returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown to put the hosts ahead 7-3 exactly two minutes into the game.
 
The next 10 possessions between the two teams resulted in nine punts and a blocked Kentucky Wesleyan field goal attempt. Malone would regain the lead, however, on the 11th possession. A 37-yard punt return by Jordan Johnson set up the Pioneers on their opponent's 31-yard line. Matt Blasiole capped off the short drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to put Malone ahead 10-7 at the 7:52 mark of the second quarter.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan answered back almost immediately. On the second play of the next drive, Cole found the endzone once again, this time on a 75-yard touchdown reception. The PAT was blocked but the Panthers still led 13-10.
 
The Pioneers knotted it back up at 13-13 on the next drive. Taking advantage of another short field, Malone made it to first and goal but failed to punch it into the endzone. Moeller's make from from 22 yards out tied it with 5:28 left in the half.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan would go up 26-13 with two touchdowns in the next four and half minutes. The defense accounted for the first touchdown when it stripped Blasiole, picked up the loose ball, and ran it back 40 yards for the score. The offense delivered the second touchdown with a three-play, 69-yard with just under a minute to play in the half. The Pioneers put together a six-play scoring drive on the subsequent possession when Moeller made it 26-16 with a 44-yard field goal as time expired
 
Following a Malone turnover on the first drive of the second half, Keelan Cole helped the Panthers stretch their lead to 33-16 with a 40-yard touchdown catch on the very next play. Cole would strike for fourth and final time six minutes later with an 8-yard touchdown catch that capped off a 6-play, 66-yard drive. The touchdown was set up by a 51-yard run by KWC halfback Josiah Israel on 3rd-and 2.
 
Trailing by 24 points, Malone made it 40-22 with a Matt Blasiole 21-yard touchdown run on the first possession of the fourth quarter. Forced to go for two points, Malone's pass attempt failed and the Pioneers still trailed by three possessions.
 
Malone cut the deficit to 10 points later in the quarter when Pioneer quarterback John Iacucci found wide receiver Ashton Dulin for a 13-yard score. The pair connected once again on the two-point conversion to make it 40-30.
 
After failing to recover the onside kick, the Pioneers came up with a huge defensive stop on the Panthers' next possession when they held Israel out of the endzone on four straight carries inside the 5-yard line. Down by two scores with under two minutes to play, the Pioneers failed to put together another scoring drive, though, and Kentucky Wesleyan held on for the 10-point victory.
 
Game Highlights
-Both teams produced exactly 424 yards of total offense.
-Malone averaged 4.7 yards per play while Kentucky Wesleyan averaged 7.2 yards per play.
-The Pioneers finished with 22 first downs compared to 13 for the Panthers but completed just 43.4 % of their passes compared to 63.0% for KWC
-Malone blocked three kicks in the game (one field goal, two extra points)

Malone Individual Highlights
-Dulin caught a career-high 12 passes for 168 yards and a score. The 12 receptions was the third-highest single-game total in Malone history, one shy of tying the school record
-Marcus Moeller was three-for-three on field goals from 42, 22, and 44 yards. He became the Malone single-season record holder with 13 made field goals on the year.
-Blasiole finished with 150 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries
-Ryan Weber led the Malone defense with nine tackles
-Austin Cary added eight tackles and a sack
-Obrempong Oppong recorded a fourth-quarter interception
 
Kentucky Wesleyan Individual Highlights
-Keelan Cole finished with 295 all-purpose yards and the four touchdowns
-Josiah Israel contributed 117 yards rushing
-Michael Malone tallied a game-high 16 tackles and a sack
 
Up Next: Malone will close out the 2016 campaign next Saturday, November 12th with a road trip to West Alabama.