McDaniel football lost 28-7 to Juniata in a non-conference game Saturday at Knox Stadium in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Junior Taevon LeGrande led the McDaniel defense with 21 tackles, including 12 solo tackles, nine assisted tackles, four tackles for loss and one sack.
Both teams entered the game with 1-2 records, and the loss marked McDaniel’s first in the last four meetings against Juniata and its first road loss in the series since Nov. 1, 2014.
McDaniel Scores First
The Green Terror took a 7-0 lead when sophomore Jack Penzone scored on a 25-yard touchdown run with 8:25 remaining in the first quarter. Tucker Auer added the extra point.
Juniata responded with 28 consecutive points, scoring 21 points on three of its final four first-half drives to take a 21-7 lead into halftime. Ethan Eisenberg scored on two 2-yard touchdown runs, and Makih Hunt added a 13-yard touchdown reception from Zachary Grande.
The Eagles forced turnovers on back-to-back possessions to start the second quarter, with each takeaway leading to a touchdown. After gaining just 17 yards on their first two drives, Juniata totaled 146 yards on their next three possessions as they scored three consecutive touchdowns.
Juniata Extends Lead After Halftime
Juniata opened the second half with a nine-play, 77-yard touchdown drive. Eisenberg finished the possession with a 1-yard touchdown run, extending the Eagles’ lead to 28-7 with 11:20 remaining in the third quarter.
After that drive, McDaniel’s defense limited Juniata to just 50 yards of total offense for the remainder of the game. Sophomore David Smith intercepted a pass on the first play of Juniata’s second possession of the half with 9:13 remaining in the third quarter.
McDaniel finished with 208 total yards, including 100 rushing yards and 108 passing yards. Juniata totaled 282 yards, with 114 rushing yards and 168 passing yards. Three McDaniel quarterbacks saw action, including freshman Peter Sherman.
LeGrande Achieves Milestone
LeGrande became the sixth player in McDaniel history to record at least 20 tackles in a game and the first since Ron Ringgold recorded 21 tackles at Randolph-Macon on Oct. 22, 2005. LeGrande’s 21 tackles fell five short of the program record of 26, set by Jim Menendez against Lycoming on Oct. 25, 1980.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Juniata’s two takeaways early in the second quarter helped turn McDaniel’s early lead into a 21-7 halftime deficit. LeGrande’s 21-tackle performance was a significant individual milestone, while the defense held Juniata to just 50 yards of offense after the Eagles’ opening second-half touchdown drive.
McDaniel will have a bye week before hosting Carnegie Mellon for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Source: Original report
