The Malone University football team suffered a 38-21 setback Saturday at Tiffin University in a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) showdown. With the loss, the Pioneers dropped to 1-4 on the season and 1-3 in the G-MAC. Tiffin remained unbeaten at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play.
 
Despite the loss, senior wide receiver Ashton Dulin had another monster game, racking up 294 all-purpose yards and scoring all three Pioneers touchdowns in three different ways. Through five games, Dulin has already scored 10 touchdowns and now has 29 for his career.
 
Recap
The All-American sprinter got things started on the first play of the game, receiving the opening kickoff just outside of the goal line, making one cut, and then out-racing the Tiffin special teams unit down the left sideline for a 99-yard score. The 99-yarder was tied for the second-longest kick return in school history. Dulin, who also had a 95-yard return in week one vs. Concordia and an 89-yard return at Kentucky Wesleyan, became the first Pioneer with three kick return touchdowns in both a single season and a career.
 
After taking a 7-0 lead just 13 seconds into the game and forcing a punt on Tiffin's first possession, Malone struggled on both sides of the football for the remainder of the first half. Following a Pioneer punt, the Dragons scored four touchdowns on their next four drives to take a 28-7 lead into halftime. Malone crossed the Dragons' 40-yard line just one time in the half before settling for a field goal try. Marcus Moeller's attempt at a school-record 51-yard field goal had the distance, but it faded wide right.
 
Tiffin stretched its lead to 35-7 six minutes into the third quarter before Dulin found the endzone once more. Facing a 3rd-and-3 from the Malone 45, Dulin took a jet sweep handoff around the right edge, shed a tackler, and was off to the races for a 55-yard touchdown run. Prior to the score, Malone had totaled just 50 yards of offense on its first 30 plays as Dulin more than doubled the output on one play.
 
Immediately after the touchdown at the 7:17 mark of the third quarter, a lightning delay sent the two teams to the locker room for over an hour. Following the suspension of play, Tiffin took a 38-14 lead on a field goal and held onto the 24-point advantage going into the fourth quarter.
 
An interception by Dawalyn Washington set up the Pioneers inside Dragon territory, but the drive ended with another long field goal attempt which again drifted wide right.
 
A punt on Tiffin's next drive set up Malone at its own nine with 8:31 remaining, but a botched snap on first down pinned the Pioneers inside their own 1-yard line. Two plays later on 3rd-and-17 from the 2-yard line, Pioneer quarterback Deandre Clayton hit Dulin with a jump ball for a 31-yard gain.
 
On the very next play, the pair hooked up on a strikingly similar pass play as Dulin made another man miss after coming down with the football and sprinted down the left sideline for a 67-yard touchdown reception. Prior to those two catches, which covered 98 yards, Dulin had been shut out in the passing game.
 
Malone had just one more chance to score late in the fourth quarter, but an interception in the endzone on fourth down sealed the 38-21 Homecoming Day victory for Tiffin.
 
Game Highlights
-Tiffin outgained Malone 509-302 in total yards and collected 26 first downs to Malone's 14.
-The balanced Dragons offense piled up 249 yards on the ground and 260 through the air. Tiffin possessed the football for nearly 39 minutes.
-Malone finished with 179 yards passing and 123 yards rushing.
-The Pioneers committed an uncharacteristically-high seven penalties for 74 yards and were just 5-of-14 on third downs.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Ashton Dulin finished with four catches for a season-high 108 yards, the first 100-yard receiving game of the season. His 294 all-purpose yards (108 receiving, 55 rushing, 131 returns) were tied for 5th-most in Malone single-game history.
-Slot receiver Dakota Hobbs added 85 yards from scrimmage (49 receiving, 36 rushing)
-Deandre Clayton struggled to hit receivers early but finished with 11 completions for 179 yards.
-Linebacker Christian Mathews totaled a team-high 13 tackles and was in on a first-quarter sack along with Arrington Dulin.
-Dawalyn Washington recorded six tackles and his first collegiate interception.
 
Tiffin Individual Highlights
-Quarterback Nick Watson was 23-of-35 for 260 yards and two touchdowns.
-All-American receiver Charles Holland caught nine passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.
-Halfbacks Tylan Rice (23 carries for 150 yards) and Kyle Brunson (13 carries for 93 yards) each found the endzone in the first half.
 
Up Next
Malone will visit Ohio Dominican next Saturday, October 13th for a 1:00 pm kickoff.