CARLISLE, Pa. - The Dickinson football team used a solid ground game from
Diante Ball and got enough out of
Rocco DiRico through the air to pick up a convincing 26-7 Centennial Conference win over Moravian University under the lights at Biddle Field on Friday night.
The Dickinson defense did not allow much on the visitors opening drive as Carter Hallgren found Brad Bryan for three, before consecutive stops by the duo of
Fabian Egger and
Tanner Long forced a punt. The Devils then began on their own 25 and got pass completions to
Bryce Peterson and
Johnny Knight for four and six yards respectively to advance to the DC40. The next play DiRico found
Princeton Douglass for 29 down to the MU31, before he ripped off 10 on the ground. Douglass continued to be the main man on the drive as he ran for 17 more and then caught a four-yard TD pass to cap the 12-play march (
Matt Moroz kick).
The ensuing Greyhounds ended on a sour note when Hallgren was picked off by
Alex Sulin on the DC31. However, DC would not be able to do anything on the possession as
Matt Maiona booted away a 36-yard punt on fourth to the MU20. Moravian worked their way down to the DC38 on the strength of a pass play to Brad Bryan and a roughing the passer penalty to end the first. The visitors worked the ground game from there with Nate Boyle carrying four more times to set up a fourth-and-one at the five. The Devils defense slammed the door in a big way as
Lewis Baer and Long broke through the line to throw him down for a loss. After the Devils next drive did not amount to much Moravian started at their own 42. Unfortunately, for the guests Hallgren carried for three yards, but put the ball on the turf thanks to a Sulin hit recovered by
James Basilii. The Dickinson drive would use a 13-yard pass to
Diante Ball and an unsportsmanlike penalty against the visitors to lead to a 37-yard Moroz field goal and a 10-0 lead. Moravian then rode Boyle to their first and only points of the night as he toted the rock seven times during the 13-play drive which ended in a 19-yard run to make it 10-7 at half.
Dickinson's first drive of the third ended after just five plays with a 49-yard Maiona punt to the MU12. Passes by Hallgren of 12-yards to Tim Garlick and 13 to Bryan were not enough to keep the changes moving for the Hounds as they were forced into a Trevor Yacuboski punt on their 45. The Red and White broke through the protection and the hand
Nikkos Kovanes got to the ball to block it.Â
It took the Red and White just two plays to find paydirt as DiRico found Douglass for 11, before Ball plunged home from four extending the advantage to 17-7 (Moroz kick) with 9:09 to go in the quarter. After a three-and-out for the Devils defense the O went back to work on the DC14. Ball carried for gains of 12 and 18, while Douglass added a 23-yard rush setting up first down on the MU23. A personal foul against Moravian a play later led to DiRico hitting
Devlin McCool for a TD (kick failed) pushing it to 23-7 after three.Â
Dickinson found the only three points of the fourth on their first drive of the period that started on the DC37 after the Hounds were denied on a fourth-and-six. Ball ran for a combined 25 yards on two plays, before DiRico took off for 36 to the MU2. Four plays later the Devils were forced into a 32-yard Moroz field goal to set the 26-7 final.
The Red and White's defense was led by long with 17 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Basilii added seven stops, while Egger, Krueger, and Sulin each had six and combined for 1.5 tackles for loss.Â
Up Next
Dickinson (2-4, 2-3 Centennial) now turns their attention to the Battle for the Conestoga Wagon next Saturday as the Devils visit Lancaster to Take on Franklin & Marshall College at 1pm.
