EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Football Team (3-3, 2-2 ODAC) got back on track with a thrilling 52-50 Homecoming Weekend victory Saturday afternoon against Shenandoah University 3-4, 1-3 ODAC).
Sophomore quarterback Hunter Taylor (Summerville, S.C.) tied the Emory & Henry record with touchdown passes. He now joins the ranks of "Sonny" Wade and Gary Collier as the only three Wasps to toss a half-dozen touchdowns in one afternoon.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 52, Shenandoah 50
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Nicewonder Field at Fred Selfe Stadium
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (3-3, 2-2 ODAC); Shenandoah(3-4, 1-3 ODAC)
How It Happened
- E&H forced a fumble on the first play from scrimmage and three plays later Taylor hooked up with junior wide receiver Derrick Yates (Abingdon, Va.) from 11 yards out for his first score.
- After a turnover on downs by the Hornets, the Wasps went back down the field for another 11-yard Taylor to Yates connection for a 14-0 lead at the 8:21 mark of the first quarter.
- Shenandoah got on the board thanks to a 40-yard Hayden Bauserman pass to Trammel Anthony.
- A 27-yard field goal by junior Matt Seals (Rogersville, Tenn) pushed the margin to 17-7 before Casey Stewart hauled in a touchdown from Bauserman to make the score 17-14 at the end of the first.
- The Wasps scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to make the halftime margin, 31-14. Taylor connected with Yates for his third score of the day, this time a 40-yard catch before finding sophomore wideout Gunner Griffith (Bluff City, Tenn.) from 15 yards out.
- On the first drive of the second half, Emory & Henry extended its margin to the largest of the game, 38-14 on a nine-yard catch by senior tight end Bradley Puccio (Murphy, N.C.).
- Shenandoah got a touchdown from Ethan Bigbie and a field goal from Patrick Ritchie to close the gap to 38-23 with 3:27 to go in the third.
- Taylor got his offense going again on the way to his record-tying sixth touchdown pass of the day, linking up with Griffith for a 12-yard score.
- Rashadeen Byrd scored twice on the ground to make the score 45-37 with 11:28 to play before senior running back Sam Wagner (Marion, Va.) rumbled in from 13 yards out to keep it a 15-point game, 52-37.
- SU's offense continued to click late as Bauserman found Casey Stewart for one score and Justin Ayres for another to get within two points (52-50) with eight seconds remaining.
- A successful onside kick by the Hornets set up a final shot for the win, but Bauserman's pass was intercepted by senior wide receiver Jesse Santiago (Yorktown, Va.), who provided a spark to the Wasps' defense throughout the afternoon.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Taylor threw for 281 yards on 22-for-40 passing for six touchdowns and rushed for 83 yards.
- Wagner finished with 90 rushing yards and a touchdown.
- Yates had a team-high eight catches for 148 yards and three scores while Santiago caught five balls for 54 yards to go along with two interceptions.
- Puccio added five receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown and Griffith scored twice on three catches for 49 yards.
- Freshman defensive back Zyquis Law (Charlotte, N.C.)had a team-high 11 tackles while sophomore defensive back Tyler Redmond (Arden, N.C.) posted 10 stops, a forced and recovered fumble and a pass defended.
Shenandoah Individual Leaders
- Bauserman threw for five touchdowns and 406 yards on 36-of-66 passing, finding nine receivers on the afternoon.
- Byrd ran for 94 yards and two scores and caught four passes for 16 yards. Jordyn Hunter added 70 yards on the ground.
- Bigbie led all players with 13 catches for 102 yards while Jake Wallace caught six balls for 100 yards. Stewart finished the game with four receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns.
A Deeper Look
- The two teams combined for 1,073 yards of total offense, with SU gaining 565 yards and E&H racking up 508 yards. The Wasps got 318 yards on the ground and 190 on the ground.
- Emory & Henry held a 30:38-29:22 advantage on time of possession and won the turnover battle, 3-2. The Hornets led 13-7 on points off turnovers, but the Wasps' defense prevented a pair of scores with interceptions.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry will remain at home next week when it hosts Randolph-Macon College in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference contest.
- Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
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