WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 22, 2018) – Stevenson University senior quarterback Dan Williams three for 348 yards through the air, completing 31 of his 41 passes Saturday, helping the visiting Mustangs knock off the King's College football team 38-17 in McCarthy Stadium on Homecoming for the Monarchs. With the win, Stevenson moves to 3-1 and 2-0 in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), while King's falls to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
The passing attack for the visitors is what caused the most trouble for the Monarchs, who was stout against the run Saturday allowing just 95 yards on the ground. King's was also solid on third-downs on the day, forcing Stevenson off the field on eight of the 13 third-down chances.
After two short drives by both teams, King's had the game's first long drive spanning 12 plays over 5:35 before stalling at the Stevenson 42. The Mustangs would follow that with a nine-play, 85-yard march that ended in the game's first points as Titus Johnson scored on a five-yard carry to put SU up 7-0.
The Mustangs added to their lead at 7:59 of the second quarter, as Daqwan Hill carried in from a yard out on 4th-and-goal. The teams traded punts after that, but King's got on the board with 1:19 remaining in the first half, as Jordan Downes finished off a five-play, 77-yard drive with a dive over the pylon from three yards out. The drive was fueled by a 68-yard reception from sophomore Jayner Garospe.
Stevenson got the ball back with 1:13 left in the half and drove down to the King's 21-yard line, converting a big third down at the King's 36 on a 15-yard completion to Hill. After an incomplete pass with six seconds left, Stevenson kept the offense on the field and Williams rewarded the confidence in him by completing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Stango with one second to go in the half to make the score 21-7 at the break.
The Mustangs got the ball after intermission and made good use of it, as Williams scrambled for an 8-yard touchdown run to put SU up 28-7 with 11:14 left in the third quarter. The Monarchs didn't go away though, as Downes took the next kick return back to the Stevenson 39-yard line. From there, KC moved to the 10-yard line, and freshman kicker Jack Barreras connected on a 27-yard field goal to make it 28-10.
King's would force Stevenson to punt on its next drive, as the Monarchs got a big sack from Myles Shelton and Antonio Rogers. After a King's punt, the Monarch defense once again stood strong, this time forcing a fumble and returning the loose ball back to the Stevenson 40. KC took advantage of the turnover, posting a seven-play, 40-yard drive to get into the end zone thanks to a 10-yard burst from Downes.
After forcing SU into a three-and-out, the Monarchs got the ball back at their own 42 following a punt but couldn't't get much going before kicking it away. The best drive of the game for Stevenson came on its next possession, eating up 4:33 of game time on 11 plays, going 92 yards before Johnson pushed in from a yard out to make the score 35-17. Gavin Locklear tacked on another field goal for the visitors to end the scoring.
King's posted 281 yards of total offense on Saturday, rushing for 155 yards, while picking up eight of 16 third-down chances Saturday. Downes finished with two scores and 65 yards on the ground after his 15 attempts, and Titus Nelson added 33 yards on the ground as well. Sophomore Tommy Klock was 8-of-17 for 123 yards in relief of Gabe Boccella, also rushing for 42 yards.
Garospe finished with 93 yards on three receptions, while Tim Costantino added four catches for nine yards. Devin Ringler also posted 26 yards receiving. Defensively, sophomore Charles McCall posted 12 tackles total, including sharing a tackle for loss, while linebacker mate Yusef Wheeler had five solo and five assisted stops. Sophomore Mando Sallavanti collected nine stops Saturday, forcing a fumble, and Jaret Horn also made eight stops.
Stevenson posted 443 yards of offense, as Sebastian Vainqueur led the Mustangs in receptions and yards with 10 catches on 121 yards. Johnson finished with 52 yards rushing and two scores, while Hill added 16 yards and a touchdown. Chaz Lyles added 74 yards receiving for SU.
The Monarchs will now focus their attention on Lycoming College (3-1, 2-0 MAC), as King's will travel to Williamsport, PA September 29 at 1 p.m. for another conference contest.
--MONARCHS--