10/28/23

EPHRAIM, Utah -- A primetime match-up between two ranked teams on ESPN+ turned into one-way traffic, as the #5 Snow College Badgers bludgeoned #12 Lackawanna College 50-21 on a cold and blustery Saturday evening at Robert L. Stoddard Field at Terry Foote Stadium on the campus of Snow College.
 
With temperatures dropping below freezing as the night went on, the Falcons (6-2) were behind the eight-ball pretty much from the start, as Snow dominated on both sides of the ball, scoring with relative ease on offense and smothering the Lackawanna offensive attack on defense in the first half. The Badgers (7-2) scored touchdowns on four straight possessions, with a safety squeezed in for good measure, all in the first half. All in all, Snow scored the game's first 36 points, including an interception return for touchdown on the Falcons' first possession of the second half. Snow piled up 27 first downs and nearly 370 yards of offense, including 243 through the air, as quarterback Donovan Smith went 19-for-28 for 233 and four touchdowns.
 
Lackawanna got its offense moving in the second half, so much so that the Falcons ended up out-gaining Snow 388-to-367, but it was too little, too late. Hamas Duren (Sophomore; Sicklerville, NJ) finished 11-for-21 for 201 yards and three touchdowns, while Terrez Worthy (Sophomore; Salisbury, MD) had 73 yards rushing on 14 carries, bottled up for the most part by the Snow College defense. Avohn Cross (Sophomore; Philadelphia, PA) was the top receiver, catching five balls for a team-best 77 yards, while Petey Tucker (Sophomore; Baltimore, MD) caught three balls for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Saint McLeod (Sophomore; Philadelphia, PA) was credited with 15 tackles, 13 on assists, while Nyair Graham (First Year; Camden, NJ) had a team-high six solo tackles and six assists to finish with 12 total tackles, with 3.5 tackles-for-loss.
 
Snow took the opening kickoff and drove methodically down the field, helped along by two Lackawanna penalties, scoring on a four-yard touchdown run on the five-minute drive. On the ensuing drive, the Falcons picked up a first down on a personal foul penalty, but were forced to punt away. Snow initially threw an interception that was returned by McLeod for a touchdown, but the play was negated by a defensive holding penalty on the pass. That gave Snow the ball back, and the Badgers, once again helped by a Lackawanna penalty, drove down the field and got a seven-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0.
 
The Falcons mishandled the kickoff and were forced to start at their own four-yard line on the next series. That proved to be a bad spot for the drive, as Snow bull-rushed the Falcons on four straight downs, eventually getting to punter Jack Borel (Sophomore; Lanoka Harbor, NJ) and blocked a punt attempt out of the back of the end zone, making it 16-0, Badgers.
 
Snow took the ball on the free kick and turned the possession into another touchdown in the second quarter, this time on a 33-yard touchdown pass. The Falcons moved the ball out to midfield on their next possession, but were forced to punt after an eight-yard sack. Snow got the ball with 9:20 remaining in the quarter, and put together a 15-play drive that ate up nearly 7:30 of game time, ending in a 2-yard touchdown run to push the Badger lead out to 29-0.
 
In the third, Lackawanna College started with the football with hopes to get the offense moving, but a fumble on fourth down at its own 37-yard line quickly ended those hopes on the initial drive, as Snow picked up the loose ball and returned it for a defensive touchdown to make it 36-0 just 90 seconds into the half.
 
Lackawanna finally got its offense going on the next drive, highlighted by a 42-yard pass from Duren to Cross, and punctuated by a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tucker.
 
The Falcons attempted an onside kick, but Snow recovered in Lackawanna territory, and then scored in just four plays, with a 15-yard touchdown pass pushing the Badger advantage up to 43-7.
 
Lackawanna put together a decent drive afterwards, but turned it over on downs at the Snow 22-yard line. The Badgers took over, and quickly moved the ball down the field for another score in the beginning of the fourth quarter, this time on a 12-yard touchdown pass to make it 50-7.
 
A 45-yard pass to Maxwell James (Sophomore; Burke, VA) highlighted the next Lackawanna drive, which ended in the second touchdown catch for Tucker, cutting the deficit to 50-14. After a three-and-out for the Falcons' defense, Lackawanna tacked on another touchdown when Duren found Jaehlan Joyner (Sophomore; Burlington, NJ) on a 14-yard touchdown pass that made it 50-21.
 
Lackawanna was 3-for-8 on third downs, and was flagged for 12 penalties, eleven in the first half. The Falcons were sacked four times, threw an interception, and fumbled the ball, which was returned for a touchdown. Snow, meanwhile, was 9-for-14 on third down and apart from a late fumble when the game was already decided, didn't turn the ball over or make any big mistakes to give the Falcons a sliver of hope.
 
Lackawanna College will look to bounce back on Saturday, November 4^th, when it travels to Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY for a key rivalry match-up with the Mustangs. Kickoff is set for 4:00pm ET at Joseph F. Fosina Field, for what will be the second match-up of the year between the two schools. Lackawanna won the first match-up, 41-18, back on October 7^th.