Football drops HCAC game in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI – In a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game on Saturday, the Defiance College football team dropped a 41-22 decision to the host Mount St. Joseph University Lions at Schueler Field.

Defiance got out to a quick start, moving 71 yards on eight plays for a touchdown on the contest's opening possession. Machari Bighams scored on a 2-yard run and Daylon Lange hit Ronald Wu with a two-point conversion pass to give the Yellow Jackets an 8-0 lead with 9:55 to go in the first quarter.

Mount St. Joseph sliced its deficit to 8-6 later in the first period and had good field position again, but DC's Ja'qway Janvier came up with an interception.

With 11:23 left in the second quarter, the Lions took a 14-8 advantage but Defiance responded with another 71-yard scoring drive, this one on 10 snaps. Lange threw to Wu for a 34-yard touchdown to tie the game.

MSJU broke the tie after the Yellow Jackets turned the ball over on an interception. With 3:32 remaining before halftime, the hosts kicked a 35-yard field goal and led, 17-14, at the intermission.

In the third quarter, Mount St. Joseph scored touchdowns on a 69-yard pass play and 55-yard punt return – in between getting a 38-yard field goal – to push its lead to 34-14.

The Lions added a touchdown early in the final period while DC concluded the scoring when Devon Hewitt Jr. ran 34 yards into the end zone and Lange connected with Terry Geiger for a two-point conversion.

MSJU had a 22-21 edge in first downs and 480 total yards to Defiance's 388. The Yellow Jackets rushed for 197 yards while holding Mount St. Joseph to 85. The Lions were guilty of eight penalties for 94 yards, compared to three for 27 for DC.

Freshman Tyshaun Freeman posted his second straight 100-yard rushing game for Defiance, gaining 112 yards on 23 carries. Lange ended with 191 passing yards with his top target being Geiger, who pulled in three receptions for 59 yards.

On defense, Janvier led the Jackets with seven total tackles while Steven Lucas, Brian Murat, Thomas Coltrain and Justin Caballero were each credited with six. Alijah Fleming and Richard Pope IV each recorded a sack.

DC falls to 1-3 overall and in the HCAC while Mount St. Joseph improves to 2-1. Scheduled next for Defiance is a home contest against conference foe Anderson University next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.