Box Score
The Mount St. Joseph University football team completed its most successful season since the 2009 campaign today when they recorded a 48-31 win today over Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Senior Day. The Lions finished the season with an 8-2 mark, the most wins since the 2009 season saw then go 9-2 overall and make the NCAA Division III playoffs. The also completed season play with a 7-1 conference mark, leaving them one-half game behind HCAC-leader Franklin College, who was to finish regular season play with a Nov. 15 conference game against Hanover College. The Lions lone conference loss this season came on Oct. 18 at home to Franklin, 38-28.
Rose-Hulman got on the early in the first half, taking the opening possession and marching down the field 70 yards on seven plays, scoring a TD on a 13-yard pass completion. The Mount tied the game at 8:47 of the first quarter, when Leonard Riston (Cincinnati, OH/Withrow) scored on a 35-yard pass from Greg Simpson (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore), as Shane Kelly (Cincinnati, OH/Turpin) knotted the game at seven-all with his PAT kick. The Lions would add points on two more possessions, as Kelly converted two field goals, to post a 20-7 lead heading into the locker room at the half.
The Fightin’ Engineers would cut the deficit to 20-10 at 12:58 in the third quarter, scoring on the first drive of the half, but would get no closer the rest of the game. Simpson, 20 yards, and Denzel Norvell (Dayton, OH/Thurgood Marshall) would add third quarter TD runs for the Lions, giving the home team a 34-10 advantage. Simpson would add two more TD runs, with the second one giving his team a 48-24 lead with just over 6:15 left in the game. The Mount would allow a late game TD to Rose-Hulman, making the final score 48-31, giving the Lions a third straight victory, as they avenged last season’s 34-0 loss to the Fightin’ Engineers.
The Lions rolled up 543 yards of total offense in the game, with the rushing attack generating 277 yards on 52 attempts. Simpson led the team with 86 yards rushing and four TDs, while also completing 12-of-20 passes for 259 yards and a score. Charles McCall (Miami, FL/Miami Norland) had 82 yards rushing while Norvell chipped in 79 yards rushing. Riston had a team-high eight receptions for 205 yards. The Mount’s defense allowed 115 yards rushing on 40 carries, had three sacks â€" including two by Montez Patterson (Cincinnati, OH/Hughes) â€" and intercepted four passes â€" including two by Marvin Draper (Columbus, OH/Whetstone). Konnor Blevins (Cincinnati, OH/Lakota West) led the Lions with 11 tackles, while fellow seniors Anthony Berry (Cincinnati, OH/Withrow) and Brent McCleerey (Mooresville, IN/Monrovia) chipped in eight tackles each.
