WINCHESTER, Va. - Daequan Porter's third-quarter blocked punt return for a touchdown for Shenandoah University proved the go-ahead score as Guilford College dropped a Saturday afternoon Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) contest to Shenandoah, 33-28.
Tyriek Russell led all receivers with nine catches for 175 yards, most coming fromKarsten Miller. Miller threw for 332 yards on 24-for-33 passing with two touchdowns.Hunter Causey led the Guilford rushing attack with 117 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown.
Both sides dueled in the first half on the offensive side of the ball as both teams amassed 597 yards of total offense in the first two periods alone. The Quakers (4-3, 1-3 ODAC) responded to Shenandoah's five-play, 75-yard opening drive with a 50-yard drive late in the first quarter thanks to two catches from Russell for 50 yards. The Guilford passing game set-up Causey for a one-yard touchdown rush to tie the game. The drive began a string of five-consecutive combined drives resulting in a touchdown. A Cedrick Delaney 73-yard run set up Jalen Hudson for a two-yard rush into the end zone on the next Hornets drive to claim a six-point lead after the missed extra-point.
The Quakers responded at the start of the second quarter as Miller completed a 90-yard drive with a 12-yard pass to Hez McKinnon to reclaim the lead. After Delaney added another Shenandoah touchdown on the ground on their next drive, Guilford's passing attack produced big gains to place Guilford in the red zone, where Terrek Watley produced a 17-yard second-down run to claim a one-point lead, 21-20.
The Quakers opened the third quarter with a 10-play, 69-yard, drive lasting 4:09. Miller's 14-yard pass to Daniel Woodruff capped the drive to enlarge the lead to eight points. A Miller fumble off a Thomas Whalen sack gave Shenandoah the ball back in Guilford territory, setting up a Hayden Bauserman 24-yard pass to Leonard Scott to pull the Hornets within two. Shenandoah claimed the lead on Guilford's next punt as Porter recovered the blocked punt for a touchdown as the Hornets claimed the lead, 33-28.
Miller engineered a seven-play,75-yard drive late in the third quarter where he produced a 17-yard rush inside the red zone all the way to the goal line before Shenandoah's Bayvon Young forced a fumble at the goal line and recovered in the end zone to force the turnover. Miller was shaken up and left the game in favor of Joe Ferrick.
Ferrick entered the contest in the fourth quarter as the Quakers'defense held off the Hornets and produced a nine-play, 63-yard drive, marching Guilford close to the red zone when the Hornets' defense forced another fumble just outside the red zone to end the drive. Shenandoah's defense held for the rest of the quarter, forcing two more turnovers and holding the Quakers to nine yards of offense to hold on to the victory.
Reggie Williams led Guilford's defense with eight tackles and a forced fumble. Julian Cuthbertson recovered a fumble while amassing six tackles. Micheal Wroble led the Hornets with 12 tackles while Malik Sims totaled 11 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Delaney led Shenandoah and all rushers with 205 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns as Shenandoah rushed for 212 yards as a team.
The Quakers out-gained the Hornets' offense with 565 yards compared to 430 from the Shenandoah with the Quakers holding the edge in first downs, 29-19. Shenandoah forced six Guilford turnovers while the Quakers forced one Hornets miscue.
The Quakers return home next Saturday, facing Bridgewater College for a 1 p.m. ODAC contest on Guilford's Senior Day.