CARLISLE, Pa. – The Dickinson football team gave the Homecoming crowd plenty to celebrate on Saturday afternoon at Biddle Field as the Red and White scored 35 third-quarter points to turn a 17-0 halftime advantage into a dominant 52-0 Centennial Conference win over the visiting McDaniel College. Ty Bussard threw for 195 yards and four touchdowns, while Dane Sorensen rushed for 157 yards and three scores. The Red Devil defense was equally impressive, recording six sacks and forcing two turnovers while limiting the Green Terror to just 133 yards of total offense.
First Quarter
- Dickinson began the afternoon with a methodical march from their own 25 as Sorensen handled the early work on the ground, before Bussard connected with Colin Sullivan for 22 yards on third down to move into McDaniel territory. A 17-yard strike to Gavin Hutz advanced the ball to the MCD30, while a McDaniel offside penalty later kept the possession alive. Sorensen then broke loose for 12 yards to the MCD6, but the visitors held firm near the goal line, bringing on Hudson Reese for a 20-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead with 8:02 remaining.
- The Green Terror looked to respond immediately as Mick Johnston found Mehari Ivory for 15 yards and Cordae James added a 14-yard rush to reach the DC28. However, Domani White and Joaquin Acuna combined to stop James behind the line, before Michael Martillotti brought down Johnston for a nine-yard sack to force a punt.
- After the ensuing Dickinson possession went three-and-out, McDaniel took over at midfield. Johnston connected with Jack Penzone for ten yards to move the visitors to the DC38, but the Devils defense again stood tall. Facing fourth-and-four at the DC32, Johnston found Penzone for just one yard as Marco Kaufman made the stop to give the ball back to the Red and White.
Second Quarter
- Dickinson needed just two plays to extend the advantage as Sorensen opened the period with a five-yard carry, before taking the next handoff around the left side and racing 64 yards to the house for a 10-0 lead with 14:14 remaining (Reese kick).
- McDaniel picked up a first down on their next possession when Caleb Wray connected with Ivory for nine yards. However, Tiago Francisco stepped in front of Wray's next pass and returned the interception three yards to give Dickinson possession at the MCD40. The Devils could not turn the takeaway into points as a fourth-down pass toward Sullivan fell incomplete.
- Neither offense could find much room over the next few possessions, with the Dickinson defense continuing to make life difficult for the Green Terror. White and Jimmy Mulholland combined for an 11-yard sack of Johnston, while Francisco stopped Jason St. Leger for a loss on the following play to force another punt.
- Taking over at the MCD48 with 2:30 left, Bussard immediately found Sullivan for 28 yards to put the Devils in scoring position. Another seven-yard connection to Sullivan and a four-yard pass to Sorensen moved the ball inside the ten. Following a four-yard Sorensen rush, Bussard hit Frederik Fjeldseth over the middle for a five-yard touchdown with 36 seconds remaining to send Dickinson into the break up 17-0 (Reese kick).
Third Quarter
- The Dickinson defense forced a quick three-and-out to begin the half, and the Red and White took over at the MCD3 following the punt play. Sorensen needed just one carry to find the end zone and stretch the margin to 24-0 with 13:48 remaining (Reese kick).
- White helped bring the next McDaniel possession to a halt with a nine-yard sack, before Hutz returned the ensuing punt ten yards to the MCD37. After an incompletion and a three-yard carry by Jake Williams, Sorensen burst around the right side for a 34-yard touchdown to make it 31-0 with 11:17 left (Reese kick).
- The defense continued to swarm as Julien Devlin stopped James for a three-yard loss and Nathan Govan II sacked Johnston for six more, resulting in another Green Terror punt. Bussard then found Williams for 16 yards, before Williams added carries of 12 and four yards to reach the MCD16. That was when Bussard connected with Hutz for a touchdown and a 38-0 advantage with 7:32 remaining (Reese kick).
- Things continued to go Dickinson's way on the next possession as Adam Kilpatrick recovered a St. Leger fumble at the MCD39. Bussard wasted no time taking advantage, finding Williams over the middle for a 39-yard touchdown on the very next play to make it 45-0 just 26 seconds after the previous score (Reese kick).
- Following another defensive stand that included an eight-yard sack by Jon Glennon, Dickinson began at their own 49. Giovanni Del Re handled much of the work on the ground, while Bussard connected with Sullivan and JP Simpson to keep the drive moving. Facing third-and-three at the MCD23, Bussard found Mathias Young for his fourth touchdown pass of the afternoon to set the score at 52-0 with 30 seconds left (Reese kick).
Fourth Quarter
- After forcing another McDaniel punt, Dickinson put together a 12-play possession that used 6:35 off the clock. Zach Faragalli picked up first downs with runs of seven and six yards, while Del Re added a 15-yard carry to reach the MCD12. However, the march ended without points when Reese's 30-yard field goal attempt missed.
- The Green Terror produced their biggest play of the afternoon on the ensuing possession as Jake Stewart broke loose for 74 yards to the DC7. Sixten Motivala helped the Devils hold firm near the goal line, before Abdoulaye Sow stopped James at the DC1 on fourth down to preserve the shutout.
- McDaniel had one final opportunity after a Dickinson punt, advancing to the DC10 on completions from Wray to Jordan Harper. However, Wray's final pass fell incomplete as the Red and White finished off the 52-0 victory.
Dickinson Leaders
- Passing – Bussard (14-19, 195yds, 4tds)
- Rushing – Sorensen (157yds, 10.5ypc, 3tds), Del Re (34yds, 3.8ypc), Williams (26yds, 3.7ypc)
- Receiving – Sullivan (67yds), Williams (55yds, 1td), Hutz (33yds, 1td), Young (23yds, 1td)
- Tackles – Motivala and White (5), Garcia and Kaufman (4), Beltrante, Mulholland and Sow (3)
Opponent Top Performers
- Passing – Johnston (6-11, 36yds, 5sacks), Wray (5-12, 34yds, 1int, 1sack)
- Rushing – Stewart (74yds), James (22yds, 1.7ypc)
- Receiving – Harper (31yds), Ivory (24yds), Penzone (11yds)
- Tackles – LeGrande (15), Allen (7), Wendel (6), Beggs (5)
Up Next
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Dickinson (5-2, 3-1 Centennial) heads to Pittsburgh next Saturday, October 31st, to take on Carnegie Mellon University. Kickoff at Gesling Stadium is scheduled for 3:30pm.
