Blue & Gold open league play with convincing 50-10 win

Fayetteville, NC - The Blue & Gold football team of North Carolina Wesleyan eased the pain of two tough early season losses on Saturday by winning their second straight contest, a 50-10 rout of Methodist University on the road.  The victory evens Wesleyan's record at 2-2 on the season, but more importantly, gives the Bishops a 1-0 record in the USA South.  Junior Bryan Haywood (pictured) tallied 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, including a 65-yard scamper in the third quarter. 

Methodist (0-3) quarterback Brandon Parks was intercepted on the first possession of the game by Justin Augustin, and on the Bishops' first offensive play, quarterback Cedric Townsend connected with Orlando Webb for a 57-yard touchdown strike.  Brian Vaughn's point-after gave NCWC an early 7-0 lead.

Methodist responded with its own 54-yard scoring drive, and freshman Mario Miralles’ 27-yard field goal closed the gap to 7-3 with 8:52 remaining in the first quarter.

The Monarchs forced Wesleyan to punt on its next possession and took over on their own 10-yard line. Unable to get a first down, Methodist opted to punt, but a poor snap gave the Bishops a safety for a 9-3 advantage. Having earned great field position at the MU 46-yard line, Townsend quickly found Teron Bush for a 47-yard touchdown on the second play of the Bishops’ next drive. Methodist attempted another field goal but missed wide left, ending the quarter with NCWC up 16-3.

The Bishops rolled through the second quarter with three rushing touchdowns by Haywood, Bush, and Townsend, respectively.  A 40-yard field goal by Vaughn wrapped up the half, and the Bishops took a 40-3 lead into the lockerroom.

Head coach Jack Ginn went to his bench in the second half.  Backup quarterback Josh Dunigan put together a 12-play, 46-yard drive on Wesleyan's second possession, capped by a 35-yard field goal by Vaughn.  After a Jamal Meekins interception, Haywood ripped off the aforementioned 65-yard TD run to end Wesleyan's scoring. 

Nearing the end of the fourth quarter, the Monarchs took over on their own 11-yard line and put together their most impressive drive of the day. Sophomore Erik Teague found senior Patrick Doleman for a Methodist touchdown with just 33 seconds left on the clock.  Miralles' extra point finished the scoring with the Blue & Gold earning the 50-10 win.

Townsend finished 15-of-21 for 238 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while on the ground, he averaged over 10 yards per carry.  In relief of Townsend, Dunigan and Bo Jordan combined to go 11-of-19 with 110 yards passing. Senior wideout Noah Parsons led Bishop receivers with five catches, while Bush and Webb each hauled in a TD reception.

Defensively, Davelle Whitney, Humza Ismail, Josh Turner, Augustin, and Meekins each recorded interceptions.  Donnel Cherry tallied a team-high nine tackles (6 solo, 3 assists), including one sack for a loss of eight yards.

Methodist senior Mike Hill ran for 51 yards in the first half while freshman Corey McGuire picked up 39 yards in the second half. Parks went 17-for-29, and Teague finished 7-for-10 on the day. Mularski led all Methodist receivers with 109 yards, while sophomore Brian Leary and freshman Byron Peters led the Methodist defense with 10 tackles apiece.

Wesleyan will celebrate 2007 Homecoming next Saturday when Maryville College visits the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex.  Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m.