The Malone University football team picked up its first win of the 2017 season at Lake Erie College Saturday night by the final score of 24-13. The win was the first for Malone since defeating Taylor in the 2016 season opener. The win also snapped a 20-game road losing streak for the Pioneers and a 19-game conference losing streak. Saturday's victory was the first-ever Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) triumph for Malone, who improved to 1-6 overall and 1-3 in league play.
 
Recap
Following a Lake Erie punt on the game's opening possession, Malone turned the ball over on its second offensive snap of the game, fumbling the football on its own 32-yard line. The Storm needed just six plays to find paydirt when tailback Antwan Harris plunged in from a yard out for the game's first touchdown.
 
On the very next drive, facing third-and-13 from its own 25, Malone would answer back with a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zane Bunnell to Pioneer receiver Ashton Dulin. Bunnell lofted a deep pass down the middle of the field to a streaking Dulin, who came back on the route, outjumped two defenders to high-point the football, and then outran the rest of the Lake Erie defense for the 75-yard score. Marcus Moeller's PAT split the uprights to tie the game at 7-7 midway through the first quarter
 
The two teams remained deadlocked until Lake Erie regained the lead on a 29-yard field goal by Mike Muzic in the opening minute of the second quarter.
 
Following a 54-yard kickoff return by Jordan Johnson that set up the Pioneers inside the Storm 30, Moeller had a chance to tie it, but his 47-yard field goal attempt, which had the distance, sailed wide left as Lake Erie took over. The two teams traded punts on the two subsequent possessions before Lake Erie was forced to punt once again.
 
Jordan Johnson fielded the kick at his own 12-yard line, made a few guys miss and then raced to the endzone untouched for an 88-yard score. Johnson, who already owned the top two longest punt returns in Malone history, etched his name into the record book again, setting a new Pioneer record with the 88-yarder. Moeller's extra point gave the Pioneers a 14-10 lead with 6:22 left in the half.
 
The score remained 14-10 into the third quarter before Moeller connected on a 32-yard field goal try that put the visitors up 17-10. The Pioneer field goal was set up on an interception by freshman corner Darrell Gaddis, the first of his young career.
 
A fumble on Malone's next possession set up the Storm with another short field. The Pioneer defense held, though, and forced the Storm into a 37-yard field goal that made it a 17-13 contest early in the fourth quarter.
 
The Pioneers responded on their very next play from scrimmage with a second score from Dulin. Lining up in the back field, the All-American track athlete took an option pitch in between the hashes, angled toward the left sideline, and then raced past the Lake Erie defense for a 70-yard touchdown run, the longest rush of his career. With 14:03 remaining, Malone led 24-13.
 
The Malone defense forced another Lake Erie punt on the Storm's next possession when Ashton's brother, Arrington Dulin made a third-down sack. Malone ran over four-and-a-half minutes off the clock on its next offensive series before giving the Storm the football with 5:22 left to play.
 
Lake Erie ran 12 plays over the next 3:37, but managed just 45 yards as the Malone defense did well to keep plays in front of them and limit yardage. A turnover on downs gave the Pioneers the football with 1:45 left to play. Three straight runs by freshman back Xavier Garland, including a four-yard carry on third-and-one allowed Malone to keep the football and run out the clock. Cam Ingram's victory-formation kneel down, the Pioneers' first since 2013 at Alderson Broaddus, sent Malone home with the win.
 
Game Highlights
-Neither team put up big numbers offensively as both Malone and Lake Erie totaled just 230 yards of offense. Dulin's two touchdowns accounted for 145 yards.
-Outside of his two long plays, the Storm defense held Malone to just 1.7 yards per play and sacked the Pioneers six times.
-Malone held Lake Erie to just 3.7 yards per play, 82 total yards passing, and 51.9% completion percentage, by far the best figures by the Pioneer defense this season.
-Lake Erie held a 14-12 edge in first downs, but was just 3-of-14 on third-down tries. Malone was 4-for-11 on third downs.
-The Storm were penalized 11 times for 114 yards while Malone, who was flagged five times for 40 yards, collected five first downs on Lake Erie penalties.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Ashton Dulin caught both of Malone's completed passes for 86 yards. He added 77 yards rushing on four carries.
-Xavier Garland carried the ball 20 times for 70 yards.
-Jordan Johnson's 88-yard punt return touchdown was the third of his career. He had a 76-yarder against Ohio Dominican in 2015 and a 70-yarder in week one at Taylor. Johnson finished the game with 159 total return yards, five tackles, and a pass breakup.
-Senior middle linebacker Ryan Weber posted a team-high nine tackles and a pass breakup.
-Arrington Dulin totaled eight stops and sack.
-Senior defensive tackle Drew Shreve totaled six tackles, two for loss, and a sack.
-Roy Johnson and Matt Ramsey each recorded six tackles and a half sack.
 
Lake Erie Individual Highlights
-Desmon Turner ran the ball 14 times for a game-high 78 yards.
-Defensive lineman Jason Rodgers recorded 13 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble.
-Isaiah Wheeler totaled nine stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
 
Up Next
Malone will turn around and play highly-touted Findlay on a short week this Thursday October 26th, at 7:00 pm at home.