Marist Red Foxes Fall to Dayton on Senior Day

POUGHKEEPSIE – The Marist football team fell to Dayton 59-31 on Senior Day in the Red Foxes’ home finale at Tenney Stadium this season. The loss brings Marist to a 5-5 overall record this season with a 5-2 record in Pioneer Football League Play. Dayton improves to 9-2 overall this season and 7-1 in PFL play.

Red-shirt junior quarterback Anthony Francis started the game ahead of usual starter Mike White on Senior day.  Francis led the offense down the field on the game’s opening drive, connecting with sophomore wide receiver Juston Christian for a 35-yard completion to set up a 41-yard field goal for senior kicker Mike Maccarone.

Dayton’s Cameron Stubbs returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards to the Marist five yard line to set up a touchdown run by red-shirt sophomore quarterback Alex Jeske. The touchdown was the first of Jeske’s three rushing touchdowns in the first half. Jeske rushed 18 times for 179 in the game and completed 13 of 20 passes for 198 yards, two touchdown, and an interception on the day.

White took over for the Red Foxes after the first possession. He was able to cap off a seven-play, 68-yard drive with a 16 yard touchdown pass to red-shirt sophomore receiver Christian Keenan. The touchdown cut the Dayton lead to 17-10.  White completed 23 of 44 passes for 248 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions on the day.

Dayton answered on their ensuing possession when Jeske found senior receiver Jack Euritt down the left sideline for a 40 yard touchdown. But Marist found life at the end of the first half when red-shirt senior safety Mike Marston intercepted a pass – his third in the last two weeks – from Jeske to end a Dayton drive. Marist was able to capitalize on the turnover when White found open space on a read-option play and ran 78 yards for a touchdown, the longest touchdown run by a quarterback in program history, cutting the Dayton lead to 24-17.  He finished the game with 101 rushing yards on 8 attempts.

Dayton responded by going 75 yards in 11 plays, scoring on a Jeske touchdown run from three yards out.  The Flyers took a 31-17 lead into halftime.

The Red Foxes were able to cut the Dayton lead to 31-24 on their first possession of the second half. Red-shirt junior running back Marcellus Calhoun scored on the ground from one yard out. Calhoun finished the game with 10 rushes for 43 yards and a touchdown. He also added 94 receiving yards on a team-high catches.

Marist made one final attempt at a comeback in the fourth quarter when the Red Foxes ran a reverse pass in the red zone.  Junior receiver Lawrence Dickens took the ball on a reverse and found White in the corner of the end zone for a Marist touchdown cutting the lead to 45-31 and giving White touchdowns rushing, passing, and receiving.

Cameron Stubbs sealed the game for Dayton when he returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.  Jeske added his fourth rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter for the game’s final score.

Red-shirt sophomore safety Wesley Beans lead the Red Fox defense with 8 total tackles in the game.

The Red Foxes will head to Jacksonville next week to take on the Dolphins in their final game of the season. Kick-off is scheduled for noon.

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