CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Mount St. Joseph University football program will open the 2022 campaign on Saturday, September 3
rd, welcoming the Yellow Jackets of Baldwin Wallace to Cincinnati and to Schueler Field. The matchup, which is scheduled to kick-off at 1:30 PM pits a pair of teams that are hoping to compete for an opportunity to win their respective leagues this season. Both programs narrowly missed that goal a season ago, and were both picked to finish second by their league's preseason coaches poll.
Baldwin Wallace comes to Cincinnati, after posting an 8-2 overall record in 2021 including a 7-2 mark in OAC play. The Jackets return 54 letter winners from a season ago, including 12 starters and 3 players who garnered All-OAC honors.
The Mount also returns a loaded roster, bringing back 9 of 11 starters on the offensive side of the ball and 7 of 11 on defense. Bringing all of that experience and talent back from a team that finished second in the HCAC a season ago bodes well for Coach Hopperton and the Lions in 2022.
Offensively the Mount will again turn the reigns of the offense over to
Josh Taylor to captain the ship. Taylor together with
Cornell Beachem Jr. form what has to be one of the more dynamic backfield duos in the country. Beachem the 2x defending HCAC male athlete of the year and reigning NCAA Division III 174 lb wrestling champion, will see time all over the field. He is expected to lineup at running back, wide receiver and also help the Lions out defensively from time-to-time.
Defensively the Lions return a pair of All-HCAC performers in
Noah Hammond and
Anthony Wright. Those two along with the group of
Decklan Brophy,
Austin Price,
Devon Donawerth and Deshawn Starks provide the team with experience at all three levels of the defense.
For Baldwin Wallace it all starts offensively with their ability to run the football. Jon Murray Jr. returns to lead an outstanding rushing attack that ran for nearly 2,500 yards a season ago. Murray also found the endzone a ton last season, finishing the year with 17 rushing touchdowns.
Mount Key to Victory:
Limit mistakes
Win 1 on 1 matchups on offense
Contain BW rushing attack
Execute Special team's opportunities
