MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College held Capital University under 100 yards of total offense as The Pioneers won 50-14 Saturday (Nov. 5) afternoon in Ohio Athletic Conference football action. Marietta improves to 5-4 overall and 4-4 in the OAC. Capital falls to 0-9 on the season and 0-8 in the OAC.
"This was one of the best defensive days that we've had in my time at Marietta," Pioneer head coach Andy Waddle said. "They had five yards and one first down on a penalty at halftime. Across our whole defensive group our guys played really hard and doing a good job of fitting into the scheme."
Marietta senior All-American defensive end Drake Neuberger set the tone early when he sacked Capital quarterback Trevor Harrison-Rawn in the end zone for a safety. Neuberger dominated the Comets finishing with 5.0 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks and 10 total tackles.
Dawson Snyder caught the first of his three touchdown passes on Marietta's next possession. Connor Vierstra hit Snyder on a 17-yard scoring strike capping a 4-play 46-yard drive. Lucas Shepherd added the extra point for a 9-0 Pioneer lead.
"Dawson is one of the premier return men in the conference and he is dangerous every time he touches the ball," Waddle said. "He was dominant as a wide receiver today. Dawson shows up every week and makes plays."
Capital lost five yards on three plays on the ensuing possession and was forced to punt the ball back to Marietta. The Pioneers responded with one of its longest drives of the afternoon covering 75 yards in 11 plays.
Bryce Agnew accounted for 74 of the 75 yards on 10 rushes including a 10-yard touchdown scamper to make it 16-0 with 1:32 left in the first quarter. Agnew finished with 114 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns.
The Capital special teams got the Comets on the board in the second quarter. Jaylan Anderson blocked a Marietta punt and Dom Glenn scooped up the loose ball and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown. Tyler Terrell kicked the extra point to make it 16-7.
Marietta put the game away with two more Snyder touchdown catches in the final minutes of the second quarter. Gabe Tingle hit Snyder on a 49-yard touchdown with 6:25 left in the quarter and then Vierstra connected with him again for a 2-yard touchdown as time ran out giving the Pioneers a 30-7 halftime lead.
The Pioneers wasted no time extending the lead in the third quarter. Marietta received the kickoff and after two Agnew rushes had a third and eight on its own 27-yard line. Vierstra found his tight end, Derek Witsberger wide open in the middle of the field for a 73-yard touchdown just over a minute into the period.
Vierstra completed 14-of-18 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Tingle completed 3-of-7 passes for 54 yards and one score. Snyder finished with four catches for 98 yards and three touchdowns.
"It was a really efficient day for Connor, and we were able to get Gabe some reps as well," Waddle said. "Gabe did some good things. He is still learning, but he brings an element with his feet that can make us more dangerous."
The defensive domination continued for the Pioneers on the Comets' next possession. Three plays lost a total of 11 yards and Capital was again forced to punt the ball back to Marietta.
Marietta limited Capital to just 89 yards of total offense in the game; 29 on the ground and 60 through the air.
Agnew scored on an 11-yard run to finish off an 11-play drive that covered 61 yards. Shepherd's kick made it 44-7 with 5:10 left in the third quarter.
Capital managed one sustained drive in the game. Zach Combs made a one-handed catch in the end zone on a 10-yard pass from Ben Everson to cap an 11-play, 60-yatd drive. Terrell's kick made it 44-14 with 5:25 left in the game.
Zion Jackson-Wilborn closed out the scoring with a 35-yard touchdown run in the final minutes of the game. Capital's Diamonte Salley blocked the extra point attempt.
Marietta travels to New Concord next Saturday (Nov. 12) for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff at rival Muskingum University.
Marietta defense overwhelms Capital in 50-14 win
/seasons/2022/boxscores/20221105_s8b1.xml
2022
Capital
14
Marietta
50
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital (0-9) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Marietta (5-4) | 16 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 50 |
Nov 05, 2022