Owings Mills, Md. - Tied 28-28 after three quarters, the Mustangs of Stevenson University scored 14 unanswered points in the final period to pull away for a 42-28 victory over N.C. Wesleyan in Friday's season opener for both squads.
Stevenson (1-0) used two big plays in the fourth quarter to secure the win. The first came with 9:15 to go when SU's Billy Lewis picked off his third pass of the game and returned it 38 yards for the go-ahead score. After the Bishops went 3-and-out on their ensuing possession, NCWC's defense seemed poised to give their offense another shot at the tie by forcing SU into a 3rd-and-22 at midfield. Mustang tailback Crawley-Lambert, however, broke free down the left sideline for a back-breaking 50-yard TD that essentially put the game out of reach with 2:15 remaining.
Despite the loss, senior wide receiver Malik Adams picked up where he left off last season by grabbing game-high seven catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns, both from sophomore quarterback Nathan Gardner. In his first collegiate start, Gardner completed 15 passes for 251 yards and a trio of TDs, while defensively, sophomore newcomer Zachary Chambers racked up a game-high 16 tackles and a forced fumble.
Stevenson's defense limited Wesleyan's running game to just 70 yards on the night, forcing the Bishops into a passing game that resulted in six Mustang picks.
Wesleyan (0-1) will now prepare for next Saturday's home opener versus the University of Mount Union. Kickoff is slated for 12:30pm at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex.