MARIETTA, Ohio —
Roger Walker (Palm Bay, Fla./Bayside) scampered 16 yards for a touchdown with 53 seconds left in the game leading Marietta College to a 27-21 win over Capital University Saturday (Nov. 5) afternoon at Don Drumm Stadium.
The victory snapped a 15-game losing streak against the Crusaders dating back to the 2000 season when Marietta last defeated Capital, 52-21. The win improves Marietta to 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Capital slips to 4-5 on the season and 4-4 in the OAC.
A poor punt for the Crusaders set up Marietta's game-winning drive. Keegan Irwin's punt went just 26 yards and gave the Pioneers the ball at their own 48-yard line with 3:39 left in the game.
Aided by a personal foul penalty against Capital, Marietta moved the ball to the Crusader 16-yard line. An incomplete pass on third down left the Pioneers with a fourth and four situation. Pioneer head coach
Andy Waddle called a timeout with 57 seconds left to decided whether to attempt a field goal or go for it.
Waddle sent the Pioneer offense back out on the field and offensive coordinator
Alan Estep called Walker's number. Walker took the handoff from
Darrien Fields (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) and ran right up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown and a 27-21 MC lead. A bad snap on the point after left the door open for Capital.
On the ensuing possession, the Crusaders put the ball in play at their own 31-yard line following an 11-yard return on the kickoff. CU quarterback Conner McCloud misfired on his first two pass attempts and then completed three straight moving the ball to Marietta's 16-yard line with 16 seconds left in the game.
Following a Crusader timeout, McCloud threw incomplete to Nick Waters on first down. Two straight attempts to the OAC's leading receiver, David Barnett, were incomplete leaving Capital with a fourth down and only two seconds left on the clock.
After using another timeout to set up for the final play of the game, McCloud again tried to find Barnett in the end zone, but the pass fell to the turf securing Marietta's victory.
Walker finished with 27 carries for 159 yards rushing and one touchdown. It was his sixth straight game surpassing the 100-yard plateau and gives him over 1,100 yards for the season.
Fields completed 21-of-32 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown. He was picked off twice. Fields also rushed for 52 yards and one touchdown. Fields' lone touchdown pass was a 4-yard strike to senior tight end
Jared Deep (Washington, Pa./Trinity) who has been out for several weeks with a knee injury.
Running back
Nick O'Neal (Mont Belvieu, Texas/Barbers Hill) averaged over seven yards per carry and finished with 57 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries.
McCloud was 6-of-19 passing for 118 yards and one score. Four different Crusaders rushed for more than 50 yards with Evin Butler leading the way with 73 yards on 12 carries. Barnett, the OAC's leading receiver with nine touchdowns and over 90 yards per game, was limited to three catches for 49 yards and no touchdowns.
Linebackers
Garrett Davis (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) and
Cody Walker (Nelsonville, Ohio/Nelsonville York) led the Pioneer defense. Davis finished with 11 tackles, while Walker had 10 stops. Derek Eibon made 12 tackles for the Crusaders.
Marietta scored on its first possession of the game for an early 7-0 lead. Fields capped an 8-play, 79-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run.
Jimmy Embrescia (Northfield, Ohio/Nordonia) added the point after.
After trading some punts, Marietta started a drive on its own 26-yard line. Fields dropped back to pass on first down and was picked off by Chuck English giving Capital the ball on the Pioneer 15-yard line.
Capital needed one play to find the end zone as Eddie Preciado ran the ball in for the score. Will Weir converted the point after to know the game at 7-7 with 27 seconds left in the first quarter.
Preciado would put the Crusaders in front towards the end of the first half. McCloud hit Preciado on a 34-yard scoring strike with 3:37 left in the half. Weir added the PAT for a 14-7 Crusader lead at the break.
Marietta got the ball to start the second half and marched 82 yards on 13 plays to even the game at 14-14. Fields hit Deep for the touchdown.
The Crusaders used another big scoring play to regain the lead. Nick Waters blasted through the Marietta defense and ran 49-yards to pay dirt giving the lead back to Capital, 21-14 after Weir's PAT.
Once again the Pioneers responded with a lengthy scoring drive. This time Marietta moved the ball 67 yards on 11 plays. O'Neal dove in from two yards out for the score and Embrescia hit the point after to level the game, 21-21, with 11:49 left in the fourth quarter.
Marietta forced Capital to punt on its next two possessions including Keegan's 26-yarder that setup MC's winning drive.
Marietta concludes the 2016 season at Otterbein University next Saturday (Nov. 12) with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
