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MOREHEAD, Ky.--Morehead State needed just five plays to score on its first drive of the game, but the offense did not find the end zone again in a 30-15 Pioneer Football League loss to rival Dayton Saturday afternoon at Jayne Stadium.
Dayton started three first-half drives, two in the first quarter, from inside Morehead State territory and came away with points all three times to overcome an early Eagle lead. Morehead had 159 yards of total offense, 73 of which came on the opening scoring drive.
“We’re so close yet so far away. We’re inconsistent with our execution,” MSU head coach Matt Ballard said. “We’ll have a nice play and then a penalty will set us back. We’ll make another nice play and then we’ll have a drop.”
The Eagles (2-3; 0-2 PFL) marched the opening kickoff 73 yards, starting with Desmond Cox’s 26-yard scamper on first down. A pass from Jared Phillips to Jerrod Pendleton, netted 25 of his team-high 33 receiving yards and put MSU just outside the red zone. Looking to pass three plays later, Phillips, who was MSU’s leading rusher with 41 yards, escaped pressure and scrambled 27 yards for the touchdown.
The Flyers immediately countered with a six-play, 47-yard drive highlighted by a pair of Steve Valentino passes to JMichael Jonard and Nick Collins. Andrew Zapinski carried the ball in on a one-yard touchdown run, but Nick Glavin’s PAT try was a low line drive that never cleared the crossbar and MSU held on to a 7-6 lead. UD took advantage of short punt following the ensuing Eagle drive, taking over on the Morehead 30, but the Eagle defense kept the end zone Flyer free, forcing a Nate Miller field goal from 19 yards out to give UD the lead.
Dayton (3-1; 1-0 PFL) scored twice in the second quarter, the first time on an eight-yard pass from Valentino, who was 13-19 for 237 yards for the day. Luke Bellman caught the scoring pass to cap a drive that started on the MSU 38. The second scoring chance came after MSU quarterback Zach Lewis completed a pass to Andre Williams, who was then stripped of the ball by Scott Horcher. Dayton went 11 plays and scored on a one-yard run by Brian Mack for the 23-7 lead that carried into halftime.
“Dayton is Dayton,” Ballard said. “They’re an outstanding football team. They’re like fine-tuned machines, like robots out there.”
The final Flyers touchdown came at the start of the second half when Justin Watkins took a short pass in traffic, burst past the Eagle secondary and turned in a 66-yard touchdown run. It was one of three catches for Watkins, who totaled 86 yards to lead UD.
J.D. Cecil gave MSU its other touchdown, picking up a fumbled handoff at the Morehead 10-yard line and running it 90 yards for the touchdown and a new Morehead State record.
Morehead State travels to Davidson next Saturday for 1 p.m. Pioneer League game. Dayton travels to PFL foe Campbell for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
