(THE PICKET) – Another Saturday of Shepherd Rams football ended with another win over the West Virginia Yellow Jackets led by an offensive outburst.
The Rams finished the day with a whopping 595 yards after being effective through the air and on the ground.
The Rams’ defense began the game strong by not giving up a touchdown until the second quarter, but later began to fall apart allowing 371 yards through the air and 121 yards on the ground.
Quarterback Connor Jessop finished the day completing 26 passes for 283 yards and 5 touchdowns. Jessop received a lot of help from his offensive line, which only allowed one sack.
Offensive linemen Delonte Murray and Lavonte Heights weren’t satisfied with just giving Jessop time in the pocket. The duo created running lanes for the Rams’ backs as they went on to have 312 yards. Running back Jabre Lolley carried the ball 18 times for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Yellow Jackets had a big day through the air with quarterback Matt Kinnick finishing with 371 yards and 3 touchdowns on 32 completions. The Yellow Jackets backfield was given a spark by their freshman phenom Calil Wilkins who scampered his way to 92 yards and a touchdown on just 16 carries. Wilkins did not play in the first half due to an in-house incident.
Defensive end Myles Humphrey filled the stat sheet by tallying 10 tackles, 3 for a loss, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass break up. Fellow senior James Gupton finished with 11 tackles, 2 for loss, and a sack.
Despite the win, both still believe they and the Rams defense have room for improvement.
The Rams travel to Athens, West Va., next week to battle against the Concord Mountain Lions. The Rams and Mountain Lions have had classic games in recent years, as they are the only two teams to win the Mountain East conference in the past five years.
