COLUMBUS, Ohio — Marietta College finished with over 500 yards of total offense as the Pioneers defeated Capital University 49-21 Saturday (Nov. 4) in Bernlohr Stadium.
Marietta improves to 6-3 overall and 5-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The six wins are the most since the Pioneers went 6-4 in 2006. A win in next week's season finale would equal the 1996 team's 7-3 mark.
Capital falls to 1-8 overall and 1-7 in the OAC.
Junior quarterback
Darrien Fields (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) opened the scoring when he hit
Alex Smith (Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield Madison) on a 13-yard scoring strike with 5:47 left in the first quarter. Fields would add another touchdown pass in the fourth quarter giving him 20 on the season and tying him with Jason Vrable for the school single season record. Vrable, an assistant coach with the New York Jets, set the current mark during the 2006 campaign.
Fields also demonstrated his running ability carting the ball seven times for 73 yards. He scrambled for 36-yard touchdown late in the second quarter to give Marietta a 21-7 lead at halftime. Fields completed 17-of-26 passes for 169 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
If Fields wasn't enough of a headache for the Crusader defense, Capital will be seeing
Roger Walker (Palm Bay, Fla./Bayside) in their nightmares tonight. The senior running back rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries.
The All-American has scored 11 rushing touchdowns in Marietta's last three games. Walker has now scored 50 career touchdowns and is making a run at MC's career record of 54 held by Dante Brown.
Walker continues to climb the Pioneers' career yardage lists. He went over 3,800 rushing yards this afternoon and now sits at 3,873 for his career. The Florida native is also approaching 5,000 all-purpose yards. Entering the final game of the season, he needs 193 to reach the milestone.
Walker scored on a 5-yard run in the first quarter putting Marietta in front 14-0. He scored twice in the second half, once from 4-yards out and then he broke a 70-yard soul crusher in the fourth quarter to ice the game, 42-14.
Capital took advantage of a pair of Pioneer turnovers. Following a Fields interception in the second quarter, Thomas Wibbeler found Dar Stanford open in the end zone for a 10-yard scoring strike cutting the Marietta lead to 14-7.
The Crusders' second touchdown came in the third quarter after recovering a Marietta fumble. Wibbeler hit David Barnett on a 24-yard touchdown to again get within seven points, 21-14.
The Pioneers scored the next 21 points to end any hopes of a Capital comeback. Sandwiched between Walker's two second half touchdowns, Fields connected with
Robert Nelson (Washington, Pa./Trinity) on a 6-yard pass. It was Nelson's first career touchdown.
Wibbeler tossed his third touchdown of the afternoon with 11:31 left in the game. He connected with Stanford from 23-yards out.
Wibbeler completed 24-of-46 passes on the day throwing for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns. Stanford had 9 receptions for 131 yards and 2 TDs.
Freshman
Geavonie Love (Sturgeon, Pa./South Fayette) closed out the scoring with his first career touchdown. The rookie ran it in from 2-yards out giving the Pioneers a 49-21 lead.
Christopher Dowell (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) led the Pioneer defense with 9 tackles.
Tyler Ruhl (Fredericktown, Ohio/Fredericktown) finished with 8 stops. He also broke up 3 Crusader passes and had an interception.
Jake Tracewell (Waverly, W.Va./Williamstown) and
Garrett Davis (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) also had 8 tackles each in the game.
Marietta closes out the season at home next Saturday (Nov. 11). The Pioneers host Otterbein University for Veterans Appreciation Day. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at Don Drumm Stadium.
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.
