Defiance Struggles in Season-Opening Loss

NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The 2008 campaign got off to a rocky beginning for the Yellow Jackets on Saturday night, as Muskingum handed Defiance a 35-10 defeat at McConagha Stadium. DC never led in the contest and did not find the end zone until 1:50 remained in the game.

The Muskies controlled both sides of the ball throughout the majority of the action and out gained Defiance by a healthy 358-158 margin, while limiting DC to only eight first downs.

Lewis Caralla was the lone bright spot for the Defiance offensive unit, as the senior running back picked up 100 of DC's 158 total yards of offense. Caralla carried the ball 20 times for 78 yards and hauled in five catches for 22 yards.

Jarrett Ensign made his debut at the wide receiver position and matched Caralla with five receptions en route to a team-high 33 receiving yards and Kyle Muller rushed the ball four times for 10 yards and his first collegiate score.

Kyle Longsdorf led the defense with nine tackles and a forced fumble, while Keith Snyder and Chuck Bowman each turned in three solo and five assisted tackles. Mike Szuma picked up DC's lone sack of the evening, while Dustin Supan recovered a fumble and ran it back for 40 yards. Ricky Sherrer also had a big night, as the sophomore picked off a pass and recovered a fumble to go along with five tackles.

The scoring started on the first drive of the game for Muskingum, as the Muskies returned the opening kick 37 yards to DC's own 44-yard line. MC used seven plays to march to the six and set up first and goal, before Joe Shafer punched it in on a six-yard sprint to lift Muskingum to the 7-0 lead with 12:00 to play in the opening quarter.

The score would remain at 7-0 until a 10-play, 77-yard drive on Muskingum's first possession of the second quarter pushed the spread to 14-0. The home team would later capitalize on a DC fumble and tack on a third touchdown with just 37 seconds left in the opening half and take a 21-0 cushion into the intermission.

DC's offense got to the Muskingum 29 on its opening touch of the third quarter, before a fumble stalled the drive. The momentum would swing right back to the Purple and Gold two plays later, when Supan scooped up a fumble by Josh Sams and took it 40 yards to the MC eight-yard marker.

A pair of two-yard rushes from Caralla got the Jackets to the four-yard line but an incomplete pass forced Defiance to settle for a 22-yard field goal. The successful attempt from Tom Foos got DC on the board and trimmed the gap to 21-3 with 8:20 left in the third quarter.

The Muskies would waste no time hitting back and put the game away with touchdown drives on their next two possessions to take command at 35-3 midway through the final quarter.

DC's lone touchdown of the night came late in the fourth after a Sherrer interception gave the Jackets the ball on the Muskingum 25-yard line. Muller and Ensign carried the ball on all five plays of the 25-yard drive, with Muller capping it on a one-yard dash into the end zone.

The Jackets will continue their early-season non-conference schedule next weekend when they play at Adrian College. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm and the game will be broadcast on 105.7 FM WZOM.