Football uses big plays, quick starts to post 49-7 victory at Muskingum

By Tim Glon

NEW CONCORD -- Junior Patrick Angle connected with senior Justin Buenger on touchdown passes of 37 and 82 yards to lead Ohio Northern to a 49-7 football victory at Muskingum Saturday afternoon at McConagha Stadium.

The Polar Bears improve to 4-4 overall and are 3-4 in Ohio Athletic Conference play, while the Muskies fall to 1-7, 1-6.

Angle completed 13 of 17 passes for 198 yards and 3 TDs and Buenger caught four passes for a career-high 138 yards and two scores to lead the ONU offense.

Junior Dillon Kwiat had a game-high 12 tackles for the Polar Bear defense.

The Polar Bears also got an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by sophomore Devon Price and a 41-yard punt return from senior Ryan Malone to set up another score.

Northern struck first on its play from scrimmage when Angle found Buenger on a 37-yard TD pass and it was 7-0 just 2:19 into the contest.

Malone set up the score with a 41-yard punt return.

Angle hit junior Justin McCray on an 11-yard touchdown pass to give ONU a 14-0 lead with 12:51 left in the half. After the Polar Bears had marched 77 yards in 10 plays for the score.

Sophomore William Bodden then made it 21-0 with a 17-yard run, capping an 8-play, 59-yard drive, to make it 21-0 with 7:52 left before intermission.

Price returned the second half kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown and a 28-0 Polar Bear lead.

After senior Cary MacLaughlin returned a fumble 13 yards to the MU 12-yard line, sophomore Justin Magazine plowed in from 3 yards out and it was 35-0 ONU with 11:53 left in the third period.

Angle then found Buenger wide open near midfield and Buenger won a footrace to the end zone to complete an 82-yard TD pass and a 42-0 lead with 4:16 left in the third period.

Magazine scored his second TD of the game on a 3-yard run with 24 seconds left in the third quarter.

Muskingum avoided the shutout with a 30-yard TD run by Wes Rataiczak with 6:28 left in the game.

"We knew that Muskingum would play hard for the full 60 minutes, so we wanted to get off to a quick start and we were able to do that," ONU head coach Dean Paul said. "Muskingum came from 21 back to win a game this year, so we needed anpther big start in the second half, so the kickoff return from Price was a huge play. I thought we competed well in all phases of the game."

MU out-gained ONU 410-348 in total offense and held the ball for 35:33 compared to 24:27 for Ohio Northern.

The Polar Bears will return to action next Saturday at Wilmington.