Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Shenandoah University football team opened up its 2018 season with a 45-33 non-league victory at Methodist University Saturday afternoon.
Shenandoah (1-0) scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams in earning its eighth victory over Methodist (0-1) in 12 lifetime meetings versus the Monarchs.
IN DEPTH
Senior Hayden Bauserman had touchdown passes of 40, 5 and 33 yards, the first and third of which went to Casey Stewart as SU turned a 6-6 game midway through the first quarter into a 27-13 halftime lead and a 41-13 advantage as the fourth quarter dawned.
Jalen Hudson returned a punt 63 yards for a TD to make it 19-6 at the 11:41 of the second and Nate Hill posted a school-record 100-yard interception return for touchdown that effectively sealed the win by increasing the lead to 48-20 with 9:21 to play.
Following Hill's INT return, SU began to extensively substitute on both sides of the ball. Methodist scored a pair of touchdowns in the final 2:11 against the Hornets reserves to provide the final margin of victory.
Junior Mario Wisdom led the SU ground attack gaining 80 yards on 13 carries and both he and Rashadeen Byrd Jr. had rushing touchdowns.
Hiil's interception was one of four the squad had on the day as sophomore Daquan Pridget picked off Monarchs quarterback three times. Pridget's first pick came on the hosts first offensive play of the game, the second in the end zone while holding a 13-6 lead and in the third in third quarter with MU still realistically in the contest.
Hill finished the day with six tackles, two passes defended and the pick-six.
QUOTEABLE
"It's great to be 1-0. It was a sloppy win but we will take it. I thought defense came up huge in first half with our backs against the wall. Mario Wisdom gave us spark running hard." – Scott Yoder
UP NEXT
Shenandoah begins a five-game homestand next Saturday night with a 7 p.m. non-league contest versus N.C. Wesleyan.
GAME NOTES
- The win is Scott Yoder's 25th as the program's head coach
- It's the fifth straight season opening win for the Hornets
- Shenandoah is now 8-4 all-time versus Methodist
- Nate Hill's 100-yard interception return breaks the previous mark of 95 set by Anthony Hayes in October 14, 2006 versus Greensboro.
- The punt return TD is the first since Josh White had one versus Catholic on October 29, 2016.
- Pridget missed the school record for interceptions in a game by one. Dionte Beatty had four interceptions versus Waynesburg on September 16, 2006.