Dayton’s offense rolls over Taylor for 2nd win of season
The Dayton Flyers scored on its first three possessions to start the game Saturday afternoon as they beat the Taylor University Trojans, 52-20, at Welcome Stadium.
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UD had over 556 yards of total offense, 303 passing, and 253 rushing, as they improved to 2-1.
Quarterback Dante Casciola threw for 277 yards and two long touchdown passes while running Michael Neel rushed for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Wide receiver Gavin Lochow caught three passes for 124 yards and a score. Quarterback Cole Dow rushed for two touchdowns.
Neel put the Flyers ahead, 7-0, in the first quarter with a 16-yard touchdown run and Luke Hansen followed with a six-yard scoring run to increase it to 14-0.
The Trojans were stopped on fourth down at Dayton’s 25-yard-line and Casciola found Joey Swanson for a 59-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 21-0 after one quarter.
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Sam Webster opened the second quarter scoring with a 38-yard field goal as UD led, 24-0. Taylor scored 14 straight points as Dakohta Sonnichsen caught a 74-yard touchdown and Ja Thomas’ two-yard touchdown got them within 10 points, 24-14, with 1:45 left until halftime.
The Flyers responded with a 16-play, 74-yard drive, that Dow capped with a two-yard touchdown run as Dayton led, 31-14, at halftime.
Neel scored his second touchdown of the game on an 18-yard scoring run on UD’s first possession of the second half. Taylor took advantage of a blocked punt and took after the Flyers’ 47-yard line with 3:38 left in the third quarter. Stephen Ellis’ three-yard touchdown run cut it to 38-20 after three quarters.
Dayton faced a third down early in the fourth quarter, but Casciola went deep and found Lochow for a 55-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 45-20. Thomas fumbled on the Trojans’ next series and Nathan Arthur recovered for UD. On the next play, Dow’s 13-yard touchdown run capped the scoring.
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Dayton begins Pioneer Football League play next Saturday at San Diego at 5 p.m. from Torero Stadium in San Diego, CA.
Coverage on WHIO Radio starts at 4:30 p.m. with Larry Hansgen and Mike Kelly. The game will also be carried here at whio.com.
