Looking for its first win of the season, McDaniel kept things simple. The Green Terror mixed in short passes and a steady dose of sophomore running back Eric Zwilsky to come away with an 14-10 victory over Juniata Saturday afternoon in front of a crowd of 5,102 at Scott S. Bair Stadium.
Zwilsky ran for 110 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries and caught the game-winning 15-yard touchdown with 9:03 left. It was the first hundred yard rushing game of Zwilsky?s career, and the first time that McDaniel had a player rush for 100 yards in a game since Meikos Parker in October of 2005
“[Zwilsky] wanted to win the football game more than anyone else and showed it right there [on his touchdown catch],” McDaniel coach Tim Keating said. “I really think we played harder.”
The Green Terror (1-4, 1-2 Centennial Conference) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on a Zwilsky 27-yard touchdown run on the game?s opening drive.
Juniata (0-4, 0-3) didn?t get onto the scoreboard until the 14:52 mark of the second quarter when kicker Davis Smith made a 24-yard field goal to cut the McDaniel lead to 7-3.
McDaniel would threaten twice more in the second quarter, driving deep into Juniata territory, but kicker Jay Leonard would miss two field goal attempts wide left ? from 24-yards and 31-yards ? to keep the score 7-3 going into intermission.
The second half started slowly for both teams as they traded possessions after failing to pick up a first down. Juniata had the best chance of the third quarter when quarterback Jay Leonard ? who finished 22-of-46 for 166 yards with one touchdown and an interception ? guided the Eagles down the field for a 32-yard field goal attempt. However Smith?s field goal hit the right upright and the Green Terror maintained their 7-3 advantage.
Juniata took the lead, though, 10-7, in the fourth quarter. Leonard found receiver David Nicklaus from 12-yards out in the back of the end zone on fourth-and-eight with 10:52 remaining.
But McDaniel answered on its ensuing possession. Driving 56 yards in only seven plays, quarterback Tom Wenrich found a double-covered Zwilsky from 15 yards out in the front of the end zone to make the score 14-10.
Wenrich completed 19-of-31 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown.
McDaniel?s defense didn?t allow Juniata to cross midfield the final nine minutes of the game and sealed the victory with 1:00 left when the Eagles turned the ball over on downs at their own 18 yard line. Defensive end Bryan Letorneau was the spark for the Green Terror defense, recording four sacks and pressuring the quarterback numerous other times. McDaniel had a team total of five sacks coming into the game.
“We knew Juniata has had problems with stunts and blitzes and we had some success with that today,” Letorneau said. “As a unit we are starting to build together.”
With the win, McDaniel has 500 all-time victories, becoming just one of 25 schools in Division III to accomplish the feat.
“This will make the time feel a lot better,” Keating said of the timebetween now and McDaniel?s next game in two weeks against Muhlenberg. “It will be good for the momentum.”
