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DEFIANCE, OHIO – A first half filled with big plays from the Manchester University offense turned out to be the difference in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference clash at Justin F. Corresel Stadium Saturday, Oct. 10.
Senior quarterback Logan Haston (Avon, Ind.) went over the 1,000-yard single-season passing mark for a second successive year, going 20-of-27 for 283 yards and two touchdowns. He was joined by sophomore running back Hunter Hardee (Fishers, Ind.) and junior wide receiver Dakota Nelson (Fairland, Ind.) to help highlight an attack that produced 450 yards and six scores, all in the first half, as part of a 42-21 Spartans' win.
Nelson hauled in seven of Haston's aerial attempts with a touchdown, coming on the Black and Gold's opening drive, for 115 yards. The multi-time pre-season All-American honoree also resumed his old tricks on special teams, taking a second quarter Defiance College punt and rambling 65 yards for a touchdown. Hardee, after having his consecutive 100-yards-plus rushing game streak snapped at Franklin College last weekend, came back with a vengeance with a pair of first half scoring carries as part of a 17-rush, 105-yard day.
After each team tallied touchdowns early on, MU was off to the races, registering seven points on four of its final six first half drives for a 35-7 halftime lead. The Spartans' defense rebounded from a Yellow Jackets' end zone strike that came about due to a blocked punt midway through the opening stanza, holding the home team to five three-and-outs while ending another DC drive on downs and another with an interception to wrap up the first half. The theme continued over the final 30 minutes as, despite two marches adding points to the home scoreboard total, MU gathered a pair of interceptions and recovered a fumble.
Junior linebacker Nathan Birk (Indianapolis, Ind.) led the defense with 12 tackles, including 10 solo, while senior defensive back Taylor Anglemyer (Wakarusa, Ind.) ended with six tackles. Freshman defensive back Dillon Nelson (Fairland, Ind.) picked off a pair of DC pass attempts to mark his fourth and fifth interceptions of the season, and junior defensive back Jarvis Mitchell (South Bend, Ind.) recovered a fumble and accounted for one of the unit's two sacks.
MU (3-2 overall and 3-1 in the HCAC) moves into the final of two bye weeks this season to prepare for its 2015 Homecoming contest against Bluffton University of Ohio Saturday, Oct. 24.
NOTES: Victories and 35-points-or-more for the Black and Gold have gone hand-in-hand recently. In their last six scenarios, MU has done so … Haston continues to be a model of consistency through the air. In 13 of his last 15 games, the senior has thrown for 200-or-more yards … Saturday's victory marked MU's sixth in the last eight games of the series.