ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Emory & Henry College Football Team (2-0, 1-0 ODAC) opened up a 38-0 halftime lead and never looked back as it rolled to a 52-17 victory over the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Saturday afternoon.
It was the first game since Saturday, September 1 for E&H as the Wasps had their scheduled bye week on September 8 and last week's contest against Methodist University was cancelled due to Hurricane Florence. The September 15 cancellation was the first time since the 1958 season that Emory & Henry has called off a football game. That year, E&H and Western Carolina University did not play due to a flu epidemic.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 52, Rochester (N.Y.) 17
LOCATION – Rochester, New York
VENUE – Edwin Fauver Stadium
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (2-0, 1-0 ODAC); Rochester (1-3, 0-0 Liberty)
How It Happened
- Emory & Henry took the opening kickoff and went 67 yards in eight plays for an 11-yard touchdown catch by senior tight end Bradley Puccio (Murphy, N.C.) from sophomore quarterback Hunter Taylor (Summerville, S.C.).
- Taylor found the end zone with a three-yard rush later in the quarter to put the Wasps up 14-0.
- The second quarter saw E&H score four times. With Rochester threatening to score, sophomore defensive back Tyler Redmond (Arden, N.C.) picked off a pass in the end zone and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown.
- A 34-yard field goal by junior Matt Seals (Rogersville, Tenn.) and rushing touchdowns from Taylor and senior running back Tyree Ward (Statesville, N.C.) gave Wasps scores on all five of their first-half offensive possessions and a 38-0 halftime advantage.
- Rochester came out of the locker room on a mission, scoring all 17 of their points in the third quarter and on consecutive possessions. The Yellowjackets got on the board with a 12-yard run by Matt Gallagher and added a 24 yard reception by Noah Shinaman from Gallagher for a 38-14 score.
- After Emory & Henry responded with a six-yard run by sophomore Markell Moss (Wytheville, Va.), the U of R got a 30-yard field goal from Dawson Klinger.
- The Wasps capped the scoring at the 13:51 mark of the fourth quarter when freshman defensive lineman Donovan Pinnix (Eden, N.C.) recovered a punt blocked by sophomore linebacker Hayden Milley (Clover, S.C.) for a special teams touchown.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Taylor threw for 133 yards and one touchdown on 12-for-18 passing and rushed for 51 yards and two scores.
- Ward finished the game with 53 yards and a touchdown while senior Sam Wagner (Marion, Va.) averaged 6.1 yards per carry for 49 yards.
- Sophomore wideout Gunner Griffith (Bluff City, Tenn.) caught five passes for 56 yards while senior Jesse Santiago (Yorktown, Va.) had five receptions for 51 yards.
- Defensively, Redmond led the way with eight tackles, one tackle for a loss and his 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. Senior defensive back Justin Banks (Coeburn, Va.) and senior defensive lineman Brodyn Huddleston (Riner, Va.) each had six tackles with Huddleston adding 1.5 sacks for eight yards.
Rochester (N.Y.) Individual Leaders
- Gallagher was 12-for-26 on the afternoon for 144 yards and a touchdown while Damon Yargeau was the Yellowjackets' leading rusher with 44 yards.
- Shinaman caught four balls for 70 yards and a score while Duncan Stewart had five receptions for 59 yards.
- Ricky Simcic put up a game-high 10 tackles while Caden Cole made eight stops. One of Robert Grant's tackles resulted in E&H's only negative yardage play of the day and he also broke up a pass.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry led 341-277 on total offense with a balanced 180 rushing yards and 161 passing yards.
- The Wasps averaged 6.0 yards per play on offense and scored a pair of non-offensive touchdowns.
- E&H only held the ball for 25:51 and was penalized 11 times for 116 yards.
Notable
- The 52 points scored by Emory & Henry were the most since putting up 55 against Ferrum College in the 2015 season opener.
- The 35-point margin of victory is the largest since the Wasps won by 48 in that same 55-7 contest over the Panthers in 2015.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry will remain on the road next week as it returns to Old Dominion Athletic Conference play at Hampden-Sydney College.
- Kickoff between the Wasps and Tigers is set for 1:00 p.m.
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