The Malone University football team closed out the 2018 campaign on Saturday with a devastating 27-22 loss to rival Walsh University in front of a sizable Senior Day crowd at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The Pioneers kicked a go-ahead field goal with 2:41 left to play in the game and recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but Walsh forced a three-and-out and ultimately went on to score the game-winning touchdown in the final minute.
 
Malone finished the season at 2-8 overall and 1-7 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Walsh finished the year at 4-6 overall and 4-4 in the G-MAC. The Cavaliers' victory was their 10th straight in the rivalry series.
 
Recap
On Walsh's first offensive possession, the Malone defense came up with a huge goal-line stand, forcing a fumble at its own 1-yard line. Walsh, however, found the endzone two drives later when Koby Adu-Poku ran it in from 28 yards to put the visitors up 7-0. His score marked the first of four straight touchdown drives between the two teams.
 
Malone countered with an 8-play, 70-yard scoring drive capped off by a 10-yard touchdown run by senior Matt Blasiole and set up by a 34-yard catch-and-run by senior receiver Ashton Dulin.
 
After Walsh went back in front 14-7 with an 11-play, 68-yard scoring drive, Malone needed just two plays to answer. Quarterback Deandre Clayton found Dulin down the left sideline for a 64-yard touchdown reception. The PAT was missed, however, and the scored remained 14-13 going into halftime.
 
On the third drive of the second half, Walsh went up 21-13 on a 9-yard touchdown run by quarterback Nick Gassman, but once again Malone counter-punched with another touchdown drive.
 
A 41-yard completion to Dulin on 3rd-and-9 helped set up the Pioneers with a first down at the Walsh 11. Three plays later, Clayton found freshman receiver Markell Stephens-Peppers for a 9-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, leaving Malone trailing 21-19 with 8:33 left to play in the third quarter.
 
A battle of field position ensued as the next five possessions resulted in punts. Following a Malone punt downed inside the Walsh 1-yard line, the Cavs went three-and-out, setting the Pioneers up with excellent field position.
 
Taking over at the Walsh 34 with 5:51 to play, Malone picked up just 10 yards over the next seven plays, but ran over three minutes off the clock before a 41-yard field goal by senior Marcus Moeller split the uprights to give the Pioneers a 22-21 advantage with just 2:41 remaining.
 
On the subsequent kickoff, a fumble forced by senior special teams ace James Jackson was picked up by Calerb D'Haiti at the Walsh 41. Three straight run plays compelled Walsh to burn all three timeouts before a touchback on the fourth-down punt gave the Cavaliers the football at the 20 with 2:12 to play.
 
Without a timeout, Walsh moved the chains on five straight plays, marching all the way to the Malone 20 and well within field goal range. Two plays later, Walsh bypassed the three points and instead scored six on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds left. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete, giving Malone a sliver of hope down by just five, 27-22.
 
Following a Dulin kickoff return to the Malone 29, the Pioneer offense needed just two plays to reach Walsh territory after a 20-yard pass play to Stephens-Peppers went to the Cavs' 40. An incomplete pass on first down preceded a 5-yard run out of bounds on second. Malone took its chance towards the endzone on third down but a deep pass to Dulin was just overthrown. With under 10 seconds left, Clayton was sacked on fourth down as the Malone season and the careers of its 17 seniors effectively came to an end.
 
Seniors Christian Mathews, Lamon Mathison, Keith Harris, Ashton Dulin, James Jackson, Kyle Nowak, Marcus Moeller, Matt Ramsey, Fred Johnson, Keith Williams, Matt Blasiole, Blake Cary, JD Stamper, Cody Stadtman, Riley Escalle, Albert Phillips, and Matt Seymour were all honored in a pregame ceremony.
 
Game Highlights
-Walsh outgained Malone in total offense 395-355 and held a 23-16 edge in first downs. The Cavaliers ran for 227 yards on 5.3 yards per carry.
-Malone ran for just 83 yards, but piled up 272 yards through the air.
-The Pioneers equaled a season-high with three forced turnovers, but their only turnover, deep in their own territory led to a Walsh score.
-The Cavaliers recorded three sacks in the contest, all coming in the pivotal fourth quarter.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Playing in his final game for Malone, Ashton Dulin finished with six catches for 162 yards and a touchdown, his 15th of the season and 34th of his career.
-Deandre Clayton completed 18-of-31 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown. He added 31 yards on the ground.
-Matt Blasiole carried the ball 15 times for 48 yards and a touchdown, finishing his career with 29 total scores.
-Freshman linebacker Mahlon Slaughter collected a game-high 14 tackles and a sack.
-Senior linebacker Lamon Mathison totaled 10 tackles and forced a fumble.
-Sophomore safety Jaylon Doss, who was named the recipient of the Dick Gallagher Scholarship prior to the start of the game, recorded 10 tackles and his first career interception.
 
Walsh Individual Highlights
-Koby Adu-Poku ran 32 times for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
-Nick Gassman totaled 168 yards passing and a touchdown and ran for 37 yards and another score.
-Linebacker Leondre Crosby totaled seven tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack.