FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Fairmont State (3-6, 3-3) defeated #23 West Liberty (7-2, 5-1) 34-17 Saturday at Duvall-Rosier Field. The Falcons used an 85-yard punt return and 205 rushing yards with four touchdowns to secure the win.
Nino Marzullo's 3-yard touchdown run at 11:41 capped the Falcons' opening 82-yard drive after completions of 27 yards to
Joshua Jones and 15 yards to
Eli Sibley.
Connor Mollohan's extra-point try was blocked as the Falcons led 6-0. West Liberty answered when Hunter Patterson scored on fourth-and-1 from the 1 at 1:35 in the first after a 33-yard run and a 15-yard Kohl Meisman completion to Dominic Diaz-Ellis, and Aidan Grella's extra point put the Hilltoppers ahead 7-6.
Gage Michael put the Falcons back in front early in the second quarter, returning a punt 85 yards for a touchdown at 13:11 before Mollohan's extra point made it 13-7. Meisman answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Levi Gullion to cap a 69-yard drive, and the extra point gave the Hilltoppers a 14-13 lead at 7:16 in the second.
Fairmont State responded when Jones scored on a 14-yard run with 4:48 left in the first half after a 20-yard completion from Marzullo to Michael and a 12-yard
Elijah Tidwell run, helping make it 20-14.
Jamar Grimball recovered a Hilltoppers fumble at the 11 later in the quarter, and after the Falcons missed a field goal, the defense kept West Liberty out of the end zone before a missed 26-yard field goal as the half expired with the Falcons ahead 20-14.
The Falcons' defense opened the third quarter by stopping the Hilltoppers on downs, with
Demarcus Daniels making the tackle after a fourth-down completion came up short at 12:25. Tidwell broke a 48-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 at 11:02 in third after Marzullo hit Sibley for 10 yards on third-and-11, and
Emmanuel Richardson's kick made it 27-14.
West Liberty drove 60 yards before Grella's 25-yard field goal cut the score to 27-17 at 4:42, with
Jeffery Polk breaking up a pass and
Nick Longo hurrying another in the red zone. After a Falcons punt, the Hilltoppers crossed midfield again, but
Kalon Curry and Allen Hertel recorded back-to-back sacks late in the third quarter.
The Hilltoppers punt pinned the Falcons at their 4 to start the fourth, they moved near midfield before punting back to the visitors. West Liberty's next possession ended on fourth-and-3 when
Darrick Badley sacked Meisman with 9:31 remaining, giving the Falcons the ball at the Hilltoppers' 39.
Marzullo scored on a 5-yard run after Jones opened the drive with a 16-yard run and Tidwell converted fourth-and-1 at the 14, and Richardson's kick made it 34-17. The Hilltoppers drove from their 35 to the Falcons' 20, but
Spencer Adderley intercepted Meisman in the end zone for a touchback at 5:15, and the Falcons later converted a third-and-13 on Jones' 30-yard run before kneeling out the win.
Marzullo completed 12 of 22 passes for 125 yards. Jones ran for 99 yards on 13 carries and added a 27-yard reception. Michael caught four passes for 31 yards. Polk led the Falcons with 12 tackles. The Falcons rushed for 205 yards and four touchdowns, limited the Hilltoppers rushing attack, which ranked 17th in Division II, to 91 rushing yards and finished with three sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Fairmont State welcomes Concord University on Saturday, November 7 for Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
