Despite a second-half rally, the Misericordia University football team dropped to 0-3 with a 46-23 loss at Wilkes, Saturday.

After falling behind 26-0 at halftime, the Cougars outscored the Colonels 23-20 in the second half and pulled within 39-23 late in the fourth period.

Brandon Leap threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns and Clayton Vleck ran for a score.

Colton Pyne had three receptions for 78 yards and a TD and Mark McMaster had two catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Noah Bard led the defense with 17 tackles while Jordan Aquino added 12 tackles and Garrett Murray had 10 stops.

Wilkes took the opening kickoff and went 58 yards in seven plays before settling for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

After forcing an MU punt, the Colonels marched 79 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown and 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Wilkes put together another 11-play drive to stretch the lead to 16-0 with 1:02 to go in the first.

The Colonels went 72 yards on their first drive of the second quarter and added a field goal just before halftime to go up, 26-0.

MU struck quickly in the third quarter when Leap connected with McMaster for a 56-yard TD on the second play of the second half.

Wilkes responded with a pair of field goals and a TD late in the third quarter to go ahead, 39-7.

MU answered with a quick TD in the closing minutes of the third quarter when Murray recovered a fumble at the Wilkes 13 yard line after a Pat Newins punt.

Following a false start penalty, Leap hit McMaster for 15 yards and Vleck plunged in for the score from one yard out to make it 39-15 with 1:34 left in the third quarter.

The teams traded punts early in the fourth quarter before the Cougars took over on their own 20 with 7:18 to play.

Sam Gillison ran for 29 yards and Robin Custodio gained 11 for a first down at the Wilkes 40.

After a one-yard loss, leap connected with Pyne for a 41-yard TD to get within 39-23 with 5:47 to go.

Wilkes closed the scoring with a TD with 3:15 to play.

Facing third-and-20, Leap ran for 10 yards and then found Gillison for a 17-yard gain and a first down in Wilkes territory.

Pyne made a grab for 23 yards and a first down at the Wilkes 20, the drive ended two plays later on a Wilkes interception and the Colonels ran out the clock.

MU will host Lycoming, Saturday.