The Marietta College football team has one last shot to pick up its first win of the season Saturday at 1:30 p.m. when it hosts Muskingum in an OAC contest at Don Drumm Stadium.
Marietta comes into the game at 0-9, but the team remains determined.
"It's a tough situation when you're looking for your first win in the last game of the season," said MC head coach Jeff Filkovski. "Obviously the season hasn't gone how we'd have liked, but we've still got to line up and play a game. I believe the guys are still focused. They are in it together."
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Marietta College has a goal-line stand in a game last season. The Pioneers are scheduled to host Muskingum in its season finale Saturday.
Marietta is led by its passing attack, which features senior quarterback Tom Fulton and junior wide receivers Kirby Harris and Tannon Roberts. Fulton has thrown for 1,850 yards and 14 touchdowns. Harris has caught seven of those touchdowns, and has 47 total receptions for 682 yards. Roberts has 520 yards on 35 catches and two scores.
Muskingum comes into Saturday's game at 2-7, with wins over Capital and Wilmington. The Muskies are led by quarterback C.J. Snider, who has passed for 727 yards and four touchdowns. Snider is also the team's leading rusher with 381 yards on 110 attempts.
A key matchup in the game will be Muskingum receiver J.J. Washington against Marietta's young defensive backfield. Washington has 613 receiving yards on 39 catches and eight touchdowns this season, while the Pioneers are giving up a league leading 230 yards per game through the air.
"We've got to shut down (Snider's) favorite target," Filkovski lamented.
Another key will be the Marietta rushing attack. The Pioneers have struggled on the ground for the better part of the season, but have seen the emergence of sophomore running back Julius Nero, who has 114 yards on 25 carries over the past three games. Seniors' Tevin Dones (75 carries, 251 yards) and Alex Fountain (16 carries, 94 yards) will likely be in the mix in the backfield.
Defensively, the Pioneers are led by junior linebacker Jake Hammer, who leads the OAC with 103 total tackles, and also has an interception and 1.5 sacks. Defensive backs Robert Brown and Charles Dixon lead the team with two interceptions a piece. Dixon, a sophomore, had a 94 yard interception return for a score last week against Otterbein. Senior linebacker Kadeem Corbin leads the team with four sacks, while senior defensive end Gaston Hayes also chipped in with 3.5 sacks.
