Box Score Millersville, Pa. - The Millersville offensive line gouged the California (Pa.) front, and
Ian Sadon ran determinedly. The senior running back piled up a career-high 187 yards to become the first Millersville back in eight seasons to hit 1,000 yards in a season. The Marauders' rushing attack kept the game within reach until costly turnovers allowed Cal to pull away for a 48-14 win in the season finale.
Millersville (1-10) rushed for 224 yards on 47 carries for an average of 4.8 yards per tote and totaled its most rushing yards since the season opener of the 2012 season--a span of 21 games. Sadon entered the game needing 125 to become just the 15th 1,000-yard rusher since 1970 and only the second since 1999.
Trailing 24-7 at the half, Millersville used Sadon on six straight plays on the first drive of the second half. He carried the load for 73 yards and broke a 42-yarder to the Cal 9-yard line. Sadon pushed the Vulcans to the one, and quarterback
Corey Unger kept the ball on a read-option for a touchdown, cutting Cal's lead to just 10.
Cal pushed into Millersville territory on its next possession, but
Rasheed Johnson ripped the ball out of the hands of Derrick Fiore and sprinted 32 yards to the Vulcan 32, putting the Marauder offense in excellent field position. Sadon carried the ball six consecutive plays but the drive stalled on 14. With a chance to make it a one-possession game,
Evan Stahl's 29-yard field goal went wide left with 4:47 left in the third.
California drove for a field goal to make the score 27-14. After a Millersville punt, Cal was forced into a three-and-out, and senior
David Rene blocked a punt, and
James Fielder recovered it at the California 20-yard line. Millersville, however, could not capitalize. On third-and-four from the Cal 14,
Shane Doughty and Sadon mishandled the exchange on a read-option, and Cal's Jordan Bowman scooped up the loose ball and raced 80 yards for a defensive touchdown.
The misfortune continued on Millersville's next possession when Unger was intercepted for a third time in the game. But this time, Dewey McDonald made his third pick and third defensive score of the season, rolling 26 yards for a 41-14 Cal lead. The Vulcans tacked on a score with just under two minutes left.
Millersville put the ball into Sadon's hands as much as possible, attempting only nine passes. Unger went 2-for-5 with three picks, and
Connor Casey came off the bench to complete 3-for-4 passes on the final drive.
David Coates led the team with two catches--one of which went for 43 yards.
Jordan Rigby recorded 12 tackles in his final game as a Marauder, and Johnson totaled 11 to go with his forced fumble and recovery.
Gilbert Ramos notched his third sack of his senior season.
Dominic Sanders also played his final game as a Marauder and finished his career with 125 receptions to rank sixth in school history. The Marauders lose a total of 12 seniors to graduation.