Oct 21, 2023
ASHLAND, Va. – No. 10 Randolph-Macon rushed for 290 yards, collected more than 500 yards of total offense and scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions while holding Shenandoah to 31 yards on the ground in a 48-13 ODAC victory on Saturday afternoon.
The Basics:
Score: Randolph-Macon 48, Shenandoah 13
Location/Venue: Ashland, Va./Day Field
Records: Randolph-Macon 7-0, 4-0 ODAC; SU 4-3, 2-2 ODAC
How it Happened:
- The Yellow Jackets took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in nine plays in 5:40, as senior running back Nick Hale (Vinton, Va./William Byrd) scored from two yards out for an early 7-0 lead.
- Following a three-and-out by the Hornets, RMC went 70 yards in 13 plays in 8:04, as senior tailback Kwesi Clarke (Reigelwood, N.C./North Brunswick) found the end zone from six yards away to put the home team up 14-0 with 49 seconds left in the first period.
- Senior wide receiver JoJo Marinella (Franklin, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) would force a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and senior safety Silas James (Greenville, N.C./JH Rose) fell on the ball at the SU27. Hale would go for 14 yards on the final play of the first quarter and 13 yards to the end zone on the first play of the second period as the advantage grew to 21-0.
- SU would put together a 75-yard scoring drive to narrow the margin to 21-6 midway through the second quarter. The Yellow Jackets would answer with their own 75-yard scoring drive in 13 plays, as senior quarterback Drew Campanale (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) scrambled for a 10-yard TD run with one minute left until halftime as RMC led 28-6 at the break.
- The Hornets went three-and-out on their first possession of the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets moved 73 yards in 12 plays as Clarke scored from one yard out to make it 34-6 with 6:52 left in the third period.
- Campanale hit Marinella with a 20-yard scoring strike on the first play of the fourth quarter as the lead expanded to 41-6.
- Senior cornerback Coleton Payne (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) picked off a pass and gave RMC the ball on its own 36. Sophomore running back Mitchell Johnson (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) capped the 15-play drive with a one-yard scoring run as the Yellow Jackets went up 48-6.
- SU would score on its final possession and RMC took two knees in the Red Zone as the game ended 48-13.
By The Numbers:
- The RMC defense held BC to 31 net yards rushing. It was the fifth time the Yellow Jackets held an opponent below 32 yards on the ground. RMC entered the game as the nation's leader in rushing defense at 24.5 yards per game.
- The Yellow Jackets had 508 yards of total offense, with 290 on the ground and 218 through the air.
- Hale carried 14 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Campanale rushed three times for 43 yards and a score. Johnson ran 10 times for 40 yards and one TD. Clarke had eight carries for 39 yards and two scores. Sophomore running back Cameron Chatmon (Willow Spring, N.C./Green Level) rushed 11 times for 37 yards.
- Campanale completed 14 of 18 passes for 165 yards and one touchdown. Senior Brecht Heuchan (Tallahassee, Fla./Maclay) hit five of six passes for 53 yards. Senior Zach Bowman (Midlothian, Va./Manchester) had five catches for 44 yards.
- RMC held the ball for 43 minutes compared to 17 for SU. The Yellow Jackets held the ball for 14:20 in the first period and 12:31 in the final quarter. RMC entered the game sixth in the nation in time of possession at 34:47.
- The Yellow Jackets had eight drives and scored touchdowns on the first seven. RMC took a pair of knees in the Red Zone on its final possession. The Yellow Jackets had four drives of more than 10 plays and seven drives of at least eight plays. RMC had five drives of 70 or more yards.
- RMC went 8 for 11 on third-down plays for a success rate of 73%. The Yellow Jackets entered the game third in the nation in third down conversion at 55.6%. RMC was 3 for 3 on fourth-down plays.
- Senior linebacker Tony Skinner (Spotsylvania, Va./Riverbend) paced the defense with six tackles, including four solo stops.
- The Yellow Jackets were +2 in turnover margin. RMC entered the game second in the country in turnover margin at 2.50. The Yellow Jackets have had 16 take-aways in their past four contests.
For The Record:
- The Yellow Jackets have scored at least 30 points in each of their past 25 games, the longest stretch in program history.
Up Next:
- Randolph-Macon will host Washington and Lee in a battle for first place in the ODAC on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m. on Day Field.