FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Fairmont State face Glenville State on Homecoming in the Battle for the Bit. The Falcons bested the Pioneers 31-24, and reclaimed the Bit. The Falcons threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, converted 4 of 5 fourth downs, and held the ball for 31:54. The league win moved the Falcons to 2-4 overall and 2-1 in conference play, while the Pioneers fell to 1-4 and 0-2.
Nino Marzullo finished Fairmont State's opening drive with a 42-yard touchdown pass to
Ralo Wesley at 12:44, and
Emmanuel Richardson's extra point made it 7-0. After the teams traded punts, the Falcons added a safety at 8:40 when a Pioneers fourth-down rush lost yardage into the end zone.
Ty'Rek Spikes returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to the Pioneers' 18 before Marzullo found
Cole Vonkaenel for a 9-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1. The Pioneers put together an 11-play, 74-yard drive late in the quarter before JD Sherrod scored on a 9-yard rush at 0:24, leaving the Falcons ahead 16-7 after the first quarter.
The Falcons opened the second quarter by extending their possession from their own 31, with Marzullo hitting Wesley for 48 yards to the Pioneers' 5 before finding
James Borbor for a 10-yard touchdown at 11:53; Richardson's kick made it 23-7. The Pioneers answered with an 83-yard drive, as JD Sherrod ran in from 17 yards at 7:51 before Brody Layman's extra point brought the score to 23-14.
The Falcons crossed midfield on their next series, but a holding penalty later moved the drive back, and
Ethan Vargo-Thomas punted to the Pioneers' 15. The Pioneers moved inside the Falcons' 5 on their final drive of the half, but
Nick Longo and
Montel Sims helped stop Sherrod for a third-down loss before Layman made a 20-yard field goal at :13, and the Falcons kneeled after the kickoff to end the quarter ahead 23-17.
The Falcons kept the Pioneers out of their territory on the opening possession, with
Quadir Lockett-Smith breaking up a first-down pass and
Darrick Badley hurrying an incompletion before a punt from the Pioneers' 42. The Falcons followed with an 11-play, 44-yard drive, as Marzullo converted fourth-and-1, but the possession ended with Vargo-Thomas' touchback punt from the Pioneers' 36.
After the teams traded punts, a false start and a Marzullo fumble at the Falcons' 13 set up Sherrod's 3-yard rushing touchdown at :29, and Brody Layman's extra point put the Pioneers ahead 24-23 before Marzullo found
Daelen Thompson for 35 yards on the final play of the quarter.
The Falcons resumed possession at their 43 and moved inside the 5 on completions from Marzullo to Thompson, Borbor, and
Jules Alvarado before Marzullo rushed in from 1 yard out at 11:55. The successful two-point conversion pass made it 31-24, and the Pioneers punted after three plays on their next possession.
The Falcons took over at their 44 and held the ball for 6:15, converting third-and-6 on Marzullo's 6-yard pass to Borbor and fourth-and-2 on
Elijah Tidwell's 3-yard rush before turning it over on downs at the Pioneers' 26 with 3:29 left. The Pioneers drove to the Falcons' 21, but Sherrod's fourth-down pass fell incomplete at :42, and the Falcons kneeled out a 31-24 win.
Marzullo completed 21 of 28 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown on 13 carries. Wesley caught four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Borbor rushed for 52 yards on 16 carries and added five receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown. Longo led the Falcons defensively with 10 tackles.
Fairmont State (2-4, 2-1) travels to Buckhannon, West Virginia on Saturday, October 10 to face the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
