Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008
Contact: Chris Kilcoyne, Sports Information Director
(804) 752-7387/ christopherkilcoyne@rmc.edu

R-MC Football Edges SUNY-Maritime 30-21 For First Win of 2008 Season
(Box Score)

BRONX, NY - Zak Thornton rushed for 180 yards on 27 carries and Eric Dardozzi made 14 stops to go along with a 46 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown as the pair led Randolph-Macon to a 30-21 victory over SUNY-Maritime on Saturday afternoon.

R-MC (1-2) also got a strong performance from quarterback Austin Faulkner who completed 19-of-28 passes for 189 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his first collegiate start. Rod Nelson was Faulkner's favorite target, compiling six catches for 37 yards. Brandon Braner pulled in five balls for 59 yards and a score as well.

Joining Dardozzi on the defensive front was Scott Ahonen with 12 tackles and Hassan Shonekan who had 10 stops on the day.

R-MC raked up 391 yards of offense and 25 first-downs on the day, while Maritime picked up 249 yards of offense in the loss.

SUNY-Maritime (1-2) jumped on the board quickly, taking the opening kickoff and driving 54 yards on seven plays, scoring the game's first TD when QB Michael Smooke found James Falkenstern for a 15 yard touchdown.

The Yellow Jackets got on the board on the ensuing possession, marching down to the Privateer 20 yard line before the drive stalled and they were forced to bring on Scott Shope for a 36 yard field goal to make the score 7-3.

Eight plays into Maritime's next drive, Dardozzi snuffed out a Privateer option play, picked off Smooke's pitch and ran the ball back 46 yards for a touchdown that put R-MC up 10-7 with 4:18 left in the opening quarter.

The score remained that way until 6:23 left to go in the half when Faulkner and Braner connected on a 21 yard scoring strike to cap off a seven play, 73 yard drive. The Jackets failed on the two-point conversion and took a 16-10 lead into the locker room at intermission.

R-MC struck for a touchdown on its second possession of the second stanza to make the score 23-10.The Yellow Jackets took over at their 20-yard line and were able to take five minutes off the clock with an 11-play drive that was highlighted by five runs from Thornton for 29 yards and 42 yards in the air from Faulkner, including a seven yard touchdown pass to tight-end Stuart May to cap the drive.

The Privateers took their next possession and cut the R-MC lead to 23-15. Smooke and the Maritime offense went 74 yards on 15 plays. Smooke ran the ball for 62 yards on the drive, setting up a one-yard plunge by James Spanopolous, who would also convert the two-point conversion.

Thornton and the Jackets offense would make it a two score contest when they got the ball back after the Maritime score. Thornton rushed for 36 yards on the nine play drive that ate up 4:30 off the clock and was highlighted by a 12-yard scoring scamper from Thornton that made the score 30-15 with 5:50 to play.

The Privateers scored with 15 seconds left in the game to pull within 30-21, but Spanopolous' two-point conversion run failed, sealing the game for Randolph-Macon.

Randolph-Macon returns home next Saturday when it will take on Catholic University at 1:00 p.m. in the ODAC opener for both teams.

- Yellow Jackets -