WINCHESTER, Va. – Visiting N.C. Wesleyan scored the initial 28 points of the game on its way to a 31-13 non-league football victory over Shenandoah Saturday afternoon.
The Bishops (1-2) won for the seventh time in 10 lifetime meetings with SU (2-1) thanks to a 437-yard day on offense and a defense that held Shenandoah to negative 16 yards rushing and registered five sacks.
SU quarterbacks Hayden Bauserman and Caleb Dembeck combined to throw for 363 yards, but that output was not enough as NCWC converted 11 of 18 third down chances as it raced out to that 28-0 lead.
The visitors converted their first third down chance at the 11:48 mark of the first on a Nathan Gardner-to-Brandon Leake 3-yard TD pass. The drive took just 1:48 over four plays and 18 yards; Shenandoah had a 7-yard punt following a drive that lost 11 yards to set the Bishops up in excellent scoring position.
With 5:45 to play in the second, Gardner made it 14-0 after finding Ben Dorfman for a 23-yard TD pass that finished off an 11-play, 99-yard drive. During that drive, it appeared that Shenandoah had registered a safety, but forward progress was given and one play later Gardner completed a 48-yard pass on 3rd-and-10 to extend the drive.
Seven plays later, Gardner hit Dorfman for what would prove to be the game-winning score.
Shenandoah got on the board with 3:50 to play in the third on a Bauserman to Cedrick Delaney 50-yard TD pass. Bauserman hit Delaney on the screen and the senior running back outraced a host of defenders to the end zone.
In the fourth, after being shaken up, Bauserman hit Qlyl Middelijn with a 12-yard TD pass on 4th-and-goal from the Bishops 12 to make it 28-13 with 11:43 remaining.
The Bishops had a 26-yard field goal followed by a goal line stand to provide the final margin of victory.
Bauserman had 306 yards passing on 30 completions in 43 attempts with Delaney hauling in 94 yards on eight catches.
Gerrel Patton had 143 yards rushing and Leake 111 receiving for NCWC.
Shenandoah is off next week and returns to action on Thursday, September 29 in its ODAC opener versus Randolph-Macon. Game time is 6:30.
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