WINCHESTER, Va. – Senior
Patrick Ritchie nailed a 40-yard field goal as time expired Saturday to give Shenandoah University a 9-7 non-league victory over former ODAC foe Emory & Henry.
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Ritchie, who had missed a PAT following the Hornets (5-2) touchdown with 2:59 to play, split the uprights on the game-winner.
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IN DEPTH
The game-winning FG is the first-ever for the Harrisonburg native and is his career long field goal.
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The win is also the 41
st of head coach
Scott Yoder's career to tie him with Paul Barnes atop the all-time list at SU.
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Ritchie was put in position to win it as Shenandoah drove 32 yards on eight plays to make it 7-6 with 2:59 to play in the third. The short field was set up by a bad punt E&H punt snap that gave the hosts the ball on the Emory & Henry 32.
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Eight plays later,
Rashadeen Byrd Jr. blasted over from the 1 on 4
th and goal to bring SU to within one. Richie's PAT was wide left, but his game-winner made that miss irrelevant.
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The Shenandoah defense, which gave up just 266 yards to the DII Wasps (4-3), held the opponent to its fewest points since a 26-7 win over Guilford on Sept. 28, 2019.
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Senior linebacker
Ben Burgan led that effort with a game-high 16 tackles, including four for loss.
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The hosts stopped four of Emory & Henry's five fourth down conversion attempts.
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SU had 242 yards of its own with quarterbacks
Steven Hugney and
Zack Mathis combining for 157 yards passing. Mathis replaced Hugney at the start of the third after the former threw three first-half interceptions and led Shenandoah on both of its scoring drives.
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Devontae Jordan had a game-high 168 yards rushing for E&H.
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UP NEXT
Shenandoah returns to ODAC play next Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest at Randolph-Macon.
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