Bulldogs Win First Game in Over Two Years, Rolling Past the Bison 45-21
Dean College football was back in action in Franklin on Saturday as the Gallaudet Bison traveled from the heart of Washington, D.C. to take on the Bulldogs in a non-conference game.
Both teams entered the game winless on the season, sitting at 0-4 overall. However, the Bulldogs offense would quickly look to change that narrative coming out victorious 45-21.
Dean's offense would find the endzone quickly on their opening drive of the game, as quarterback Chris Donohue found his receiver Tay Sholtz deep in the far corner of the endzone for his second receiving touchdown of the season and the PAT would make it 7-0 Bulldogs.
Now on defense, the Bulldogs would come up with their second takeaway of the season courtesy of Sophomore Colin Brady picking off Bison quarterback Jayden DeFalco on their opening drive of the game.
When asked about his defensive unit, Bulldogs first-year defensive coordinator Antonio Young was very optimistic about their upcoming matchups, he said, “I think that the offenses they have presented on film are offenses that we do well against defensively”.
To end the first quarter, the duo of Donohue and Sholtz would connect once again for a Bulldog touchdown to extend their lead early to 14-0.
Gallaudet would respond with a touchdown of their own. A drive led by running back Marcus Brown-Gabriel would be capped off with him finding the endzone for the first Bison touchdown of the game to make it 14-7.
However, nearing the end of the first half, the Bulldogs offense in Donohue and Sholtz would strike for six once again for the third time today. The Sophomore Sholtz already with 8 catches for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns at halftime, and the third touchdown made it 21-7 going into the break.
To start the third quarter, the Bulldogs would score six more as this time Donohue found Senior Captain wideout Da’Qwon Foster for an 11-yard touchdown on his 11th reception of the day. The Bulldogs extended their lead 27-7 after the blocked PAT.
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Another stop on defense for Dean and another touchdown right after for Foster, this time doubling the length of his first with a 22-yard screen play touchdown. Donohue’s fifth passing touchdown of the day would extend Dean’s lead once again this time to make it 33-7.
The Bison offense would finally pick up the pace with their running back Marcus Brown-Gabriel leading the way into the endzone again to make it 33-13.
Following the Bison touchdown, Donohue would break the single-game passing touchdown record for Dean College with his 6th of the day. This time finding the freshman Dre Chaney for his first career reception, which went for 71 yards and six more points for Dean College. Bulldogs now led 39-13.
Bulldogs Coach Luke Bakanowsky spoke on Donohue and said, “However he plays, the kids are going to follow what he does."
Star running back for the Bison Marcus Brown-Gabriel would find the endzone two more times once for six and the other for the 2-point conversion to cut into the lead 39-21 in the fourth quarter.
Another Bulldog would strike gold for the first time in his career as this time it was the running back Taj Byrd-Breazeale for an 11-yard scamper to expand the Bulldog lead again to 45-21 with under 8 minutes remaining in the game.
Jamal Palmer would put the icing on the cake for Dean College with the interception late in the fourth quarter, which sealed the deal for Bulldogs Head Coach Luke Bakanowsky’s first career win with Dean College.
It has been over 1,000 days, 36 months, over 2 seasons; but now, the Dean Bulldogs Football team is back in the win column. Now standing at 1-4 on the season.
Dean Football is back in action on Saturday, October 17th, as the Bridgewater Bears come to town for a MASCAC battle at 12 PM ET.
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