Football falls to rival Marietta in Homecoming matchup

The Muskingum football team fell against rival Marietta in a Homecoming matchup on Saturday night, 38-6.

Notables

• The contest marked the 102nd Muskingum Homecoming.
• The game marked the Shriner Trophy game, which started in 2009 between Muskingum and Marietta. Marietta leads the series 9-7.
• Following the game, Marietta senior quarterback Connor Vierstra and Muskingum junior quarterback Garrett Gurney were named the Shriner Players of the Game.
• At halftime, Muskingum crowned John Jacobs Homecoming King and Rosemary Stephens Homecoming Queen.
• At halftime, Muskingum announced its 2024 Hall of Fame Class, which will be inducted during the Night of Impact presented by Carol Goff & Associates Real Estate on Friday, February 7. This year's prestigious class includes Frank Duda, class of 1967, for football and track and field; Christie McGee, class of 1995, for volleyball; Vanessa Warnock, class of 2000, for women's soccer; and Wes Carder, class of 2010, for baseball.
• After the contest, Muskingum junior quarterback Garrett Gurney and junior linebacker Martavious Johnson were named the Wally's Pizza Players of the Game.

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (4-2 overall, 3-2 OAC), Marietta (6-0 overall, 5-0 OAC)
• Location: Bullock Health and Wellness Complex - New Concord, Ohio
• Attendance: 2,650

Inside the Numbers

• Muskingum ended the game with 306 yards of offense and 15 first downs.
• Gurney led the offense, going 20-of-28 passing for 199 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also led the Muskies with 19 totes for 73 yards.
• Sophomore receiver Davion Grant had five receptions for 88 yards.
• Senior receiver Travanti Keitt had four receptions for 29 yards and one touchdown.
• Senior tight end Gannon Unger hauled in four receptions for 22 yards.
• Junior kicker Aaron Meyers had five punts and placed two inside the 20.
• Johnson led the Muskie defense with seven tackles and one interception for three yards.
• Senior defensive back Devin Roebuck and sophomore linebacker Ekyri Williams each notched six stops.
• Marietta ended the outing with 378 yards of offense and 23 first downs. 
• The Pioneers ended the game with a 33:53-26:07 time of possession edge.
• Vierstra led the Pioneers, going 18-of-27 passing for 252 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
• Taz Morris led the rushing attack with 52 yards and one score on 13 carries.
• Jay Melchiori led all receivers with six receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
• Harley Hopkins led the defense with nine tackles and a half sack.
• Chance Knight had five stops and 1.5 sacks.

How it Happened

• After a scoreless first quarter, Marietta scored 17 points in the second quarter to take the lead into the break.
• The Pioneers scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to take a 38-0 edge.
• Muskingum orchestrated a six-play, 67-yard drive in the fourth quarter, ending with Gurney hitting Keitt for a three-yard touchdown pass.

Up Next

• Muskingum next travels to Heidelberg on Saturday, October 26. The game time is set for 1:30 p.m.