The Misericordia University football team lit up the scoreboard in a 41-10 win over Alvernia, scoring six touchdowns in front of a packed homecoming crowd, Saturday at Mangelsdorf Field.
After the Golden Wolves kicked a field goal on the opening drive, MU rattled off 41 unanswered points and the defense held Alvernia to one touchdown for the remainder of the game.
Jacob Hunter threw for two scores and added a rushing touchdown, finishing the afternoon with 246 throwing yards and 39 on the ground.
Angelo Fluri had 10 carries, five receptions and rushed for two touchdowns.
Anthony Rucci and
Jordan Alston both had touchdown receptions. Rucci led the Cougars' receiver room with five catches for 109 yards.
Special teams made their presence known in the second quarter as
Gavin Morris blocked a punt, allowing
Kevin Huffman to hustle his way into the end zone for the scoop-and-score.
Morris led the defense with 10 tackles.
Malcolm Roy recorded two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Kishon Brown and
Aiden Fitzgerald also had interceptions.
Owen Norman factored into a pair of sacks, with
Ethan Felker and
Stacey Jackson also getting in on the action.
Following a game-opening Alvernia field goal, the Cougars went right to work looking to erase the deficit. On third down and facing pressure, Hunter flipped the field with a 35-yard pass that Rucci brought down with a leaping catch in coverage. A facemask penalty on the defense tacked on extra yardage, moving MU to the Alvernia 35.
Fluri capped the drive with four carries, punching the ball into the end zone to give Misericordia a 7-3 lead with 5:13 left in the opening quarter.
The Cougars' defense got off the field in just five plays, allowing Hunter and the offense to build on their lead.
On the first snap of the drive, the Cougars' quarterback unleashed a 49-yard heave to Hoy, who stayed on his feet and took the ball deep into Alvernia territory. One play later, Fluri sliced through the defense for an 11-yard score, his second rushing touchdown of the period.
At the end of the first quarter, Misericordia held a 14-3 advantage.
Facing 4th-and-4 at their own 28, the Golden Wolves were forced to punt to open the second frame. Morris hustled his way around the Alvernia line and got a hand on the punt, causing it to dribble directly to Huffman. The linebacker fielded the ball cleanly and raced into the end zone for a special teams touchdown, building MU's lead to 17.
The Misericordia defense continued to stifle Alvernia, getting a three-and-out on the ensuing drive to return possession back to the Cougars.
Davon Reams moved the ball downfield for MU with three rushes and a reception, setting the stage for Hunter to find Rucci on a slant route with a 31-yard completion.
Later in the drive, an 11-yard run by Hunter moved the ball to the Alvernia nine. The junior quarterback connected with Rucci in the end zone with a short pass on the next play. Following the successful extra point kick by
Connor McLaughlin, Misericordia held a sizable 27-3 lead with 6:47 to go in the half.
After another Alvernia drive failed to produce points,
Jassan Whittaker used his speed to lose his defender and haul in a game-high 54-yard pass from Hunter. On the next snap, Hunter broke free on play-action for an 11-yard rushing touchdown.
Roy extinguished any chance of Alvernia developing momentum before halftime with an interception on a Hail Mary pass with six seconds remaining.
The Cougars returned to the locker room with a commanding 34-3 lead, scoring touchdowns on all four first-half drives.
On the second half kickoff, Whittaker caught the ball at the Misericordia 2 and exploded for a 34-yard return.
MU continued to chip away at the Golden Wolves' defense, methodically driving the ball down the field with runs and short passes. The Misericordia coaching staff's faith in Hunter was put on display when the team elected to go for it on 4th-and-17. Hunter stepped up in the pocket and delivered an off-balance pass right to Rucci for a new set of downs inside the Alvernia 20.
Hunter capitalized on the drive, turning to his right and hitting a wide-open Alston with a short pass. Alston turned upfield along the Alvernia sideline, beat a defender and sprinted into the end zone to put the Cougars up, 41-3.
Alvernia scored a rushing touchdown with 1:40 left in the third quarter.
Misericordia's defense remained sharp through the fourth quarter, as Brown and Fitzgerald recorded picks on back-to-back Alvernia drives.
The Cougars got the ball back with 54 seconds and got into victory formation, allowing the clock to run and sealing the decisive 41-10 win in front of the home crowd.
After a bye week, MU hits the road to battle Lebanon Valley, October 11.
