Sep 6, 2014 5 min read

WAYNESBURG – Josh Mundell didn’t sleep well Friday night.

“Didn’t sleep much, at all. I woke up a couple of times. Guess it was a case of nerves,” Mundell explained.

That can be expected when you’re a young football player on the eve of your first start in a college game at the high-impact position of cornerback.

However, it will was the Muskingum University offense that had nightmares Saturday with Mundell in the starring role.

Mundell, a sophomore from Carmichaels, intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, and forced a fumble to help Waynesburg to a 33-0 victory over Muskingum in a nonconference game at John F. Wiley Stadium. It was the first home shutout for Waynesburg since blanking Denison in the 2004 season opener.

The Waynesburg defense, which entered the season with seven new starters including the entire secondary, turned in a dominant performance. The Yellow Jackets held Muskingum without a first down until late in the first half and Muskies quarterback Cody Williams completed only seven of 20 passes for 93 yards with the two interceptions by Mundell. Williams was sacked three times.

“I think we answered some of the questions about our defense,” Mundell said. “The linebackers and down linemen made our job easier in the secondary. Their quarterback didn’t have much time to throw.”

The deepest penetration the Muskies made into Waynesburg territory was the Yellow Jackets’ 35-yard line midway through the third quarter.

“It was the first game. I think they’re a little younger than we are,” Waynesburg coach Rick Shepas said. “We’re a more veteran unit.”

Especially on offense, where the Yellow Jackets return nine starters. Waynesburg moved the football and dominated time of possession in the first half but had only a 13-0 lead at halftime.

Tailback Jerry Lawman gave Waynesburg a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter with a four-yard run. The score was set up by a 10-yard Muskingum punt that gave Waynesburg possession at the Muskies’ 20.

On Waynesburg’s next possession, quarterback Carter Bell faked a pass to the sideline and then found tight end Zac Capan open over the middle. Capan outran the Muskies’ secondary for a 49-yard score and a 13-0 lead.

On Waynesburg’s first offensive play of the second half, wide receiver Bernie Thompson turned a screen pass from Hill into a 77-yard gain. Hill scored on a quarterback sneak on the next play to make the score 20-0.

Less than a minute later, Mundell cut in front of a Muskingum receiver near the sideline and intercepted a pass by Williams. With nobody between him and the goal line, Mundell raced untouched for 41 yards and a touchdown.

“I was covering the second receiver in from the sideline, but I jumped to the outside guy and cut in front of him,” Mundell explained. “I don’t know if the quarterback ever saw me. I grabbed the ball and all I saw was a lot of green in front of me.”

That was Mundell’s second interception. The first came in the second quarter, when he battled a Muskingum receiver for a deep pass over the middle.

“The ball hit the receiver in the hands, but I was able to get my hand in there and tip the ball up in the air,” Mundell recalled. “The ball actually hit my shoulder pad and fell back in my hands.

“I was nervous the entire game, but it was a good kind of nervous. After the first quarter, I started settling in. Once I was able to get involved in some plays and get some action, everything was OK.”

Mundell returned his first interception 14 yards. He also forced a fumble late in the first half.

“We thought Josh was going to be a good football player,” Shepas said. “We’ve put a lot of trust in him. He has a good sense for the ball. We’ve had years in which we were more athletic in the secondary, but we’re a more-disciplined unit this year. That was a good start for our secondary.”

Waynesburg capped the scoring early in the fourth quarter when Jake Forsythe scored on a six-yard run, one play after the Yellow Jackets converted third-and-23 with a 24-yard screen pass to Willie Leavell.

“We moved the ball and possessed the football in the first half, though we didn’t come away with many points,” Shepas said. “But having to be on the field so much early in the game, I think it wore down their defense in the second half.”

Hill completed 13 of 22 passes for 248 yards. He had a 24-yard TD pass to Andrew English in the third quarter negated by an offensive pass interference penalty. … Muskingum gained 121 of its 185 rushing yards after falling behind 27-0. … Zach Machuga, Jordan Voitus and Adam Steiner had sacks for Waynesburg’s defense.