WINCHESTER, Va. – Shenandoah University opened up its 2016 home football slate Saturday night with a 53-33 blowout victory over longtime rival Ferrum.
Shenandoah (2-0) won its fourth straight over Ferrum (0-2) as the Hornets piled up 374 yards passing in the non-league win.
SU led 14-0 before the Panthers ran one offensive snap.
After Cedrick Delaney returned the opening kick 42 yards to the FC 48, the hosts needed just five plays for quarterback Hayden Bauserman to find Leonard Scott for a 13-yard TD pass.
The TD strike was four for the sophomore on the evening and Scott was one of nine receivers to catch at least one pass.
A perfectly executed on-side kick followed, with senior Derek Davis punching the ball 12-yards up the field and falling on it before Ferrum could react.
A 7-play, 53-yard drive followed with Delaney taking it from the 4 on a third-and-goal play.
Ferrum quickly answered with a 5-play, 65-yard drive to cut the deficit to 14-7, but this would be as close as the Panthers would come for the rest of the evening.
A second Delaney TD run, this one 1-yard, make it 21-7 with 4:12 to play in the first.
Shenandoah added a pair of touchdown in the second, on a Jalen Hudson 9-yard run and a Bauserman-to-Jalen Brisco 15-yard pass, to take a 34-7 lead into the halftime locker room.
Ferrum made matters interesting by outscoring SU 20-12 in the third, but it was unable to get closer than 13-points the rest of the way.
Bauserman finished 31 of 48 for 374 yards and four touchdowns against one interception to offset just 14 yards rushing on the night.
Brisco paced the victors with 76 yards receiving on five catches with Justin Ayers adding 60 yards and Delaney 58.
Delaney had a team-high seven receptions.
Seven of the nine men who had receptions had at least 33 yards receiving.
Cody Miller once again led the defense in tackles. Tonight he had nine.
Deaquan Porter had an interception and Bayvon Young forced a fumble.
The 53 points is the second most in program history, trailing just 54 points scored versus Chowan in 2003.
Bauserman's 374 yards passing is the second most in program history after his 450 yard day versus Guilford last season.
Shenandoah continues this homestand next Saturday with a 1 p.m. non-league kickoff against former USA South rival N.C. Wesleyan.
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