Football dominates Waynesburg in season-opening win

On Saturday, the Muskingum football team dominated Waynesburg in its season-opening game en route to an impressive 49-6 win.

Highlights

• The win marked Muskingum's fifth straight win against Waynesburg.
• The six points Muskingum allowed are the fewest points allowed since 2017 when Muskingum shut out Waynesburg, 19-0.
• Muskingum erupted for 21 points in the first quarter and added 21 more points in the second quarter to take a commanding 42-0 lead into the break.
• Muskingum was 5-of-5 in the red zone with five touchdowns.
• Muskingum did not log a punt throughout the game.
• The victory marked the third straight full-season year that Muskingum has started 1-0 under Head Coach Erik Ieuter.

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (1-0), Waynesburg (0-1)
• Location: Zanesville, Ohio - Sulsberger Stadium
• Attendance: 750
• Temperature: 75 and sunny

Inside the Numbers

• Senior quarterback Jordan Garrett led the Muskie attack going 13-of-17 for 178 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 49 yards on the ground on seven totes.
• Junior running back Donny Wilkinson rushed for 68 yards and two scores on 12 carries. He also hauled in a pair of passes for 15 yards.
• Junior wide receiver Ja'Lin Goodman led all receivers with 82 yards on three receptions.
• Sophomore wide receiver Travis Roberson and sophomore tight end Gannon Unger each had a touchdown.
• Junior linebacker Tristan Howell led the defense with a game-high nine stops.
• Senior Cortez McGinnis added four tackles and a 52-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
• Freshman defensive back Julio Garcia blocked Waynesburg's first punt attempt on its opening drive, and freshman receiver Devin Sanz scooped it up and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown.
• Muskingum ended the game with 387 yards of offense and 18 first downs. 
• The Muskies were 3-of-5 on three-down conversions and 2-of-2 on fourth-down conversions.
• Muskingum limited Waynesburg to 145 yards of offense.
• Tyler Raines directed the Yellow Jacket offense and went 6-of-17 for 21 yards.
• Justin Flack rushed for 55 yards on 15 carries to pace Waynesburg.
• Luke Menges led the Yellow Jacket defense with eight hits.

How it Happened

• Muskingum's Garcia blocked Waynesburg's opening-drive punt, and Sanz returned it 10 yards to put the Muskies up 7-0 at the 13:47 mark of the first quarter.
• Muskingum then capitalized on a Waynesburg fumble on its second possession to piece together a five-play, 35-yard drive that resulted in Wilkinson's four-yard touchdown score.
• Wilkinson added his second score at the 4:49 mark of the first quarter to put the Muskies up 21-0.
• Muskingum continued its onslaught in the second quarter by scoring 21 points. Unger hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass, McGinnis returned a fumble 52 yards for a score, and sophomore Travanti Keitt caught a 14-yard touchdown from Garrett.
• In the third quarter, the Muskies completed their scoring on Garrett's four-yard toss to sophomore receiver Travis Roberson.
• Sophomore kicker Hunter Albers was a perfect 7-of-7 in extra-point attempts.
• In the fourth quarter, Waynesburg added a pair of field goals (21 yards, 34 yards) to end the scoring.

Up Next

• Muskingum next hosts Ohio Northern in Ohio Athletic Conference action on Saturday, September 11. The game time is slated for 7:00 p.m. at Zanesville High School and will feature an HD video stream beginning at 6:45 p.m. with the Wally's Pizza pregame show. Fans can access the stream on fightingmuskies.com and the OAC TV app.