WINCHESTER, Va. – Shenandoah University earned its second straight victory to start the 2018 football season with a 59-21 non-league win Saturday night before 1121 soggy Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium fans.
IN DEPTH
Shenandoah (2-0) was a perfect 8-for-8 inside the red zone in taking out the Bishops (1-1) for the fourth time in the last five meetings.
The Hornets, who received the opening kick, led 14-0 before NCWC gained its first offensive yard and led by at least 10 points for the final 53 minutes of the game.
After the Bishops closed to within 10, 24-14 following the initial touchdown of the second half, Shenandoah scored 28 straight points to put the game away by the 10-minute mark of the fourth.
Quarterback Hayden Bauserman tied his own school record with six touchdown passes before backup Ben Agostino had one of his own on a 4th-and-goal play with just more than three minutes to play.
Bauserman was 34-of-53 for 343 yards and the six TDs and completed passes to nine different receivers. Overall, 11 men caught at least one pass as the Hornets threw for 368 yards on 37 completions in 56 attempts.
Senior Jalen Hudson had 10 receptions in the first half and finished the night with 11 catches for 109 yards and two TDs. Junior Casey Stewart also had two TD catches among his six receptions for 60 yards.
Defensively, Shenandoah gave up 434 yards, but forced NCWC to a 3-for-9 performance inside the red zone, had two interceptions and had a crucial goal line stand in the first half that kept the SU lead at 10 points.
Daquan Pridget and Tyler Williams both had eight tackles with Williams posting two for loss and one of the unit's two picks on the night.
Trey Lancaster had 13 catches for 201 yards for the Bishops but was held out of the end zone.
QUOTABLE
"It was a good, total team win," head coach Scott Yoder said. "I thought the defense coming up with a goal line stand early was huge, as was our response to their opening score of the second half. It was a little sloppy because of the weather, but we will take it."
UP NEXT
The Hornets host Hobart next Saturday in a 7 p.m. non-league contest. The 2003 and 2004 USA South championship teams will be honored at halftime.
NOTABLE
- Hayden Bauserman's six touchdown passes ties the record he originally set last season versus Randolph-Macon and tied versus Hampden-Sydney
- The Hornets seven TD passes is a new school record
- In the past two seasons, SU has scored 120 points versus the Bishops.
- This is the fourth straight year that Shenandoah has started 2-0
- N.C. Wesleyan now holds a 7-5 edge in the all-time series with the Hornets but SU has won four of the past five
- This is the second straight year that the Hornets home opener has been played in a driving rainstorm
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