In the team’s first home game of the 2014 season, the Shepherd Rams football team made a statement to the rest of the Mountain East Conference with their dominant win over the Fighting Falcons of Fairmont State 56-0.
The 56 point win is the team’s largest margin of victory since a 64-7 win over Seton Hill dating back to September 2011. The Rams have now won 16 of their last 18 matchups against the Fighting Falcons.
Sophomore quarterback Jeff Ziemba had a fantastic game. He threw for 262 yards without recording a single incomplete pass, connecting on all 14 of his pass attempts. His lone touchdown pass went to senior wide receiver William Mckenzie when they connected on a 17 pass in the first quarter. Mckenzie ended the game with five catches and 107 yards. Ziemba also recorded three carries for 22 yards, including a five yard carry on fourth down inside Fairmont State territory that would eventually lead to a touchdown.
Ziemba also did a great job at spreading the ball around, connecting on passes to eight different players. Behind McKenzie in yards was junior Dalton Boyd, who was the deep threat, racking up 80 yards on two catches.
The passing game was set up by a strong running game. The Rams were able rack up 264 rushing yards on 50 carries. Sophomore Jabre Lolley recorded three of the team’s seven rushing touchdowns. He had nine carries and added 78 yards.
Junior running back Allen Cross ended the game with nine carries for 31 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He also scored the first touchdown of the game on a 10 yard rush.
Freshman Trenton Cannon and redshirt-freshman Malik Harleston did the majority of the work in the fourth quarter with the starters out. Cannon posted 61 yards on 11 attempts with an eight yard score and Harleston had 86 yards on 15 rushes with one touchdown.
Shepherd completely blanketed Fairmont State on defense. The Fighting Falcons were only able to convert five first downs over the course of the game while the Rams posted 26. The longest drive for the team went for 21 yards, while their total offense for the day was 77 yards. The Rams, in comparison, put up 543 total yards. Shepherd also forced 10 three and outs against the Fairmont State, which helped keep the defense stay rested.
The Rams were constantly in the Fighting Falcons backfield, whether it was a pass or a run. The team ended the game with five tackles for loss and two sacks, both recorded by junior defensive end Shaneil Jenkins.
That pressure also forced Fairmont State quarterback Cooper Hibbs to struggle. He completed five passes during the game on 16 attempts. The Rams secondary also gave him fits, breaking up three of his pass attempts. Senior outside linebackers De’Ontre Johnson and Levi Barber, as well as sophomore defensive back Tre Sullivan recorded the pass break ups.
Sophomore outside linebacker Jaylen Johnson was all over the field, recording a team high seven tackles. He also had a massive hit that forced a fumble that would roll out of bounds.
The Rams have improved their record on the season to 2-0 while Fairmont State is still looking for a victory. The Rams will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 20 when they face off against Urbana, who sports a 1-1 record. In their only matchup last season, the Rams came away with the victory at home 28-21.