NEW CONCORD — Marietta College scored 42 straight points Saturday afternoon to erase an early deficit and beat rival Muskingum University 49-28, reclaiming the Shrine Trophy in the Ohio Athletic Conference rivalry game.
Muskingum struck first and struck big. The Muskies scored on the game’s opening possession on a 53-yard pass from Cavan Cooper to Tyler Whitacre, and after Marietta answered, Cooper connected with Cade Searls on a 62-yard touchdown for a 14-7 Muskingum lead — the last time the home team would feel comfortable all afternoon.
Marietta quarterback Joe Tenta started the outburst with touchdown passes to Dalton Miller — a 42-yard score, then a 28-yard strike to the same target — sandwiched around a 33-yard touchdown pass to Antwon Miller. Tenta finished 15 of 25 passing for 223 yards, and Miller’s two catches were both touchdowns, good for 70 yards.
The ground game and the defense joined in. Benny Lewis scored on a 3-yard run, Lukas Ratliff returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown, and Zion Jackson-Wilborn closed Marietta’s scoring with a 29-yard run as the Pioneers built a 49-7 lead in the fourth quarter. Lewis and Jackson-Wilborn each finished with 114 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Marietta’s defense harassed Cooper all afternoon, intercepting three passes, recording three sacks and holding Muskingum to just 86 rushing yards on 37 carries — 2.3 yards per attempt — while forcing a fumble. Muskingum’s late scores, including an 80-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Jacob Whitmore to Searls in the final minutes, only narrowed the final margin.
“Credit to Muskingum, they came out and played tough. We answered the bell at halftime and were able to pull away,” Marietta head coach Tom Hinkle said. “It was nice offensively to get back to dominating the ground game. We need to have this balance moving forward if we want to finish the season on a high note.” Hinkle also flagged the cleanup work: the Pioneers fumbled the ball away four times. “We need to take better care of the football. It was a very sloppy game and there is a lot to clean up.”
The win lifts Marietta to 4-3 overall and 3-3 in the OAC, while Muskingum falls to 0-7 and 0-6 in conference play. The trophy win also avenges last season, when Muskingum snapped Marietta’s eight-game win streak in the series. Marietta plays at Heidelberg next Saturday, October 31, at 2 p.m.
Photo: Bwsmith84, CC BY