Mount football team improves to 3-3 with a 21-0 victory at Defiance College

The College of Mount St. Joseph got three, first half TDs from senior back James Clay (Louisville, KY/duPont Manual) and supported that with a shutdown defense, as they rolled to a 21-0 shutout on Satufday at HCAC-rival Defiance College. The win enables the Lions to even their 2012 overall mark at 3-3, and improve to 2-3 in the conference. The Mount returns to action on Oct. 20 when they host HCAC-foe Manchester College in Homecoming 2012.

After a punt on their first possession of the game, Clay, and the Lions took control of the aciton early on as he led the team to three straight scoring drives, scoring on runs of eight, 35 and 70 yards. Daniel Dripps (Wapakoneta, OH/Wapokaneta) converted his third straight PAT kick of the game - at the 12:46 mark of the second quarter to give the Lions a 21-0 lead. The Mount's last three drives of the half would end in two punts and the end of the half. Defiance, meanwhile, could never get things untracked offensively in the first half, gaining the ball with eight possessions and seeing drives end in punts (four times) and a missed 45-yard field goal.

The Yellow Jackets moved their ball of their first possession of the second half, but saw their attempt to get on the scoreboard end deep in Lions territory as Raphael Allen (Trotwood, OH/Trotwood-Madison) picked off a Defiance pass. Defiance would move the ball on two of their last three series, but the Lions held them out of the endzone. The Lions were stymied offensively throughout the second half, having four of five possessions end with a punt. The Mount's Greg Tabar (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) would punt seven times in the game.

Clay finished with his fifth game of the season with over 200-plus rushing yards, racking up 220 yards on the ground on 24 carries. Defiance won the battle of the stats, finishing with 23 first downs to the Lions' nine and 378 total yards to 258 total yards for the Mount. The Mount held the Yellow Jackets to two-of-17 on third down,

Garrett Breiner (Louisville, KY/Male) led the defense with a game-high 17 tackles.