CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Mount St. Joseph University football team opened the 2022 seasons by welcoming the Yellow Jackets of Baldwin Wallace to Schueler Field on Saturday. It was a back and forth affair against two of the top teams in the OAC and HCAC. Thanks to heroic efforts by
Cornell Beachem Jr. and
Josh Taylor the Lions took down the OAC heavyweight 31-28 to get off to a 1-0 start.
Early in the game Baldwin Wallace jumped out to a early lead, outscoring the Lions 14-3 in the first quarter. They did so behind a dominant rushing attack that moved up and down the field with ease early in the contest. Their opening drive took just five plays and 1:52 of game time, four of the plays were runs as the drive covered 83 yards.
The Lions answered back with a 12 play, 69 yard drive that culminated in a
Kyle Farfsing field goal. On their second drive of the game scored another touchdown after a 7 play 72 yard drive.
On their next drive the Lions were forced to punt for the first time, but followed that up with their first defensive stop of the game. The Mount drew closer on the next drive again marching 12 plays. scoring their first touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run by Taylor.
The teams exchanged fumbles on their next two drives, before the Lions forced Baldwin Wallace to punt for the second time in the game. The Mount got their first lead of the season on the next drive of the game, as again it was Taylor's legs doing the work. With the ball on the BW 36 staring down a 3rd and 2, Josh raced 36 yards into the endzone for his second score of the game pushing the Lions ahead 17-14.
BW threatened to take the lead again just before the half, getting into the redzone on the strength of a 50-yard bomb. Just one play later the Lions defense showed up as
Austin Price picked off a pass in the endzone stopping the drive.
17-14 would be the score as the team's headed into the halftime break. The Lions would receive the second half kickoff but were unable to add to their lead. The teams would exchange punts over the next three drives. BW took their next possession and began marching again and moved the ball all the way down to the MSJ 1 yard line. The game was then suspended for nearly an hour due to lightning in the area. When the game finally resumed BW scored to take the lead back on their first play.
On the next possession the Lions would take the lead back as Taylor found
Omar Porter Jr. for the sophomore's first touchdown catch in a Lions uniform. The score capped off a 10 play 71 yard drive for the Mount. BW would answer on their next possession scoring a TD of their own with just 4:43 left on the clock, going back ahead 28-24.
The answer would come quickly for the Lions scoring on their next drive to take the lead back. The big strike on the drive was the play of the game, as Taylor was scrambling and laid a pass out to Beachem. The ball was very nearly intercepted but after a bounce of the defend, Beachem plucked it out of the air and raced 64 yards to the BW 3. A couple of plays later Taylor would find one of his favorite targets in
Joey Newton for the 3-yard touchdown.
With just 2:13 left on the clock the game was in the hands of the Mount's defense. On first down they completed a short pass then had a pair of incompletions. Setting up the final meaningful snap of the game, on 4th and 6 from their own 37 yard line the BW quarterback scrambled but was stop after just a 4-yard gain. Which gave the ball and the game to the Lions.
STANDOUTS
Offensive
Josh Taylor was 21-of-32 passing for 265 yard and a pair of touchdowns adding 15 rushes for 58 yards and another pair of scores.
Cornell Beachem Jr. had 30 offensive touches (22 rushes, 8 catches) for 261 total yards, with 341 all-purpose yards
Joey Newton pulled in 7 passes for 80 yards and a score
Defensive
Anthony Wright led the way with 10 tackles (4 solo, 6 assists)
Nick Stephenson added 9 tackles, and 1.5 TFLs
Devon Donawerth had 8 tackles
Austin Price added 6 tackles and a pick
UP NEXT
The Lions (1-0, 0-0 HCAC) will head to Alfred, Ny. to take on the Saxons of Alfred University (0-1, 0-0 Empire 8). The game is a rematch from a season ago when the Lions took down the Saxons 33-14 at home.
