Senior wide receiver Ashton Dulin matched a career-high with three touchdowns, but the Malone University Football team came up short in a 44-38 shootout against Kentucky Wesleyan College Saturday afternoon in Owensboro, Kentucky. With the loss, Malone dropped to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
 
The Panthers, who improved to 2-2 on the year and 1-1 in the G-MAC, scored offensive touchdowns from 63, 51, 18, 58, and 67 yards and broke a 38-38 tie midway through the fourth quarter on a 100-yard kickoff return. The Pioneers had a chance to go ahead late, but a fumble inside the Panthers' 5-yard line sealed their fate. Malone fell to 0-3 all-time against Kentucky Wesleyan and suffered its 22nd loss in its last 23 road games.
 
Recap
Coming into the game with NCAA Division II's third-worst third-down offense, Kentucky Wesleyan converted two third downs on its opening drive, including a 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass from quarterback Mike McGee to wide receiver Derek Barnes over the Malone secondary on 3rd-and-13.  A PAT try from Chris Logsdon split the uprights to give the Panthers the early 7-0 lead.
 
A football game quickly evolved into a track meet just one play later when Ashton Dulin received the ensuing kickoff, made one cut, and sprinted up the middle of the field virtually untouched for an 89-yard touchdown. Marcus Moeller's PAT knotted it up at 7-7 at the 11:39 mark of the first quarter.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan answered with a touchdown on its next possession when freshman Landan Thomas took a handoff off the right edge and ran 51 yards down the sideline to paydirt.
 
Three drives later, Malone, taking advantage of a short punt, needed just three plays to go 47 yards for the tying score. Quarterback Deandre Clayton found Dulin with a lofted pass to the endzone for a 28-yard touchdown that knotted the game at 14-14.
 
After trading three-and-outs, Kentucky Wesleyan scored its shortest touchdown of the game on the opening drive of the second quarter when Thomas went around right edge again from 18 yards out. The Panthers then recovered the subsequent kickoff when Malone failed to jump on a short kick meant to stay away from Dulin in the return game. The Pioneers' special teams miscue led to a 33-yard field goal for the hosts and 24-14 advantage.
 
A special teams blunder by the Panthers three drives later led to two points for Malone when a high snap on a punt rolled out of the back of the endzone for a safety. Malone then went to work on an 8-play, 59-yard scoring drive following the free kick. On third-and-goal from the one, running back Keon Singleton powered his way into the endzone for a score. The two teams would go to halftime with KWC clinging to a 24-23 lead.
 
The Pioneers received the second-half kickoff, but punted following a stalled drive. They got the ball back just two players later after forcing a fumble deep in Panther territory. Malone used six plays to go 20 yards as Clayton ran a quarterback sweep from two-yards out to give the visitors their first and only lead of the game. Clayton found Markell Stephens-Peppers on a two-point conversion pass to put Malone ahead 31-24.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan evened it at 31-31 on the next possession when Thomas went around left edge this time, carrying the football 58 yards down the middle of the field for the Panther touchdown.
 
The next three drives resulted in punts before KWC took over at its own 32-yard line with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter. Just two plays later, McGee tossed a short screen pass to Barnes, who went 67 yards for a touchdown to give the Panthers a 38-31 advantage.
 
Malone eventually countered with a 5-play, 49-yard scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter. Set up by a pair of punishing runs by Singleton, Malone faced first-and-goal from the Panthers' five-yard line before Clayton threw a short fade route to Dulin in the corner of endzone. The All-American candidate hauled in his second touchdown grab of the afternoon to tie it at 38-38.
 
The momentum almost instantly swung back in favor of Kentucky Wesleyan when Barnes ran back the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Logsdon's PAT attempt was wide, however, as the Panthers led by just six.
 
Starting at the 8:00 mark of the final quarter, Malone went to work on a potential game-winning drive, chewing up six-and-a-half minutes of clock in the process. Aided by a pair of defensive pass interference penalties, including one on 4th-and-9, the Pioneers marched deep into the Panthers redzone, setting themselves up with 1st-and-goal from the five.
 
Running into a swarm of KWC defenders, Singleton fumbled his first-down rushing attempt as the Panthers came out from underneath of the pile with the loose football with 1:31 remaining. Malone still maintained all three timeouts and had a chance get the ball back, but a 46-yard run by Thomas on second down fittingly iced the victory for the Panthers.
 
Game Highlights
-Kentucky Wesleyan outgained Malone 446 to 328 in total yards, including a 233-190 edge in rushing and a 213-138 edge in yards through the air.
-Thanks to so many big plays, Malone held an 18-13 advantage in first downs.
-The Panthers, who converted just five third-down attempts over their previous three games combined, went 8-for-15 on third downs, including six conversions in the first half.
-The 82 total points were the most scored in a Malone game since combining with Lake Erie to score 89 in 2014.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Ashton Dulin, who also scored three touchdowns in the season-ending loss to Walsh last season caught six passes for 81 yards and the two scores.  The kickoff return touchdown was his second in three games this season.
-Despite the fumble late, Keon Singleton played well, running for 124 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
-Deandre Clayton went 13-for-23 passing with 138 yards and two scores and added 46 yards rushing on 14 totes.
-Dawalyn Washington totaled a team-high 14 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup.
-Albert Phillips, who added nine tackles, and Arrington Dulin combined on a sack
 
Kentucky Wesleyan Individual Highlights
-Derek Barnes finished with 330 all-purpose yards (142 receiving, 188 returns) and three touchdowns.
-Landon Thomas racked 220 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
-Quarterback Mike McGee was 11-for-16 with 213 yards passing
-Freshman defensive end Luke Baird totaled nine tackles and a half sack.
 
Up Next
Malone will celebrate Homecoming next Saturday, September 29th against Hillsdale.