GRANVILLE, Ohio (September 3, 2022) – Senior tight end Mack Marston finished with 10 receptions for 110 yards, fifth-year quarterback Drew Dawkins threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns and junior running back Trey Fabrocini rushed for 110 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Denison University football team to a 48-31 victory over Capital University under the lights at Deeds Field-Piper Stadium.

Dawkins finished 18-for-25 through the air and completed at least one pass to five different receivers, but none would be as impressive on this day as Marston, who came up with a catch to help Denison convert on third down three times and had eight first-down catches overall.

Also putting together impressive days for the Big Red were a pair of defensive players. Junior linebacker Jeff Moore finished with 13 total tackles and 11 solo tackles while senior defensive lineman Clay Denstorff had a sack, a forced fumble and a big pick six.

In what was the first matchup between Denison (1-0) and Capital (0-1) since 1981, the first quarter featured a little bit of everything you could see on a football field.

After Denison put together a nine-play, 70-yard drive to open the game that finished with a four-yard touchdown run from Fabrocini, Capital answered with a quick five-play, 75-yard drive that finished with a 20-yard touchdown pass before a fumble on the extra point try left Denison with a 7-6 lead. However, the next Big Red drive was even quicker as sophomore Jaylin Epps returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the 10-yard line, and then two plays later Dawkins found Marston for the eight-yard score to make it 14-6.

Then four plays into Capital's next drive, Denstorff intercepted Capital quarterback Ben Everson at the Capital 39-yard line and made a beeline to the corner of the endzone to make it 21-6 Big Red.

On the next Capital possession, a big stop on fourth-and-one by senior defensive lineman Michael Freilino gave the ball back to the Big Red, and Dawkins immediately hooked up with sophomore Billy Guzzo for a 71-yard catch and run to make it 28-6.

After the series of highlight reel plays for the Big Red in the first quarter, Denison started the second quarter with an 11-play, 69-yard drive that finished with a two-yard score by Fabrocini to blow the game open at 35-6.

Sophomore kicker Daniel Cunningham converted on a 33-yard field goal to make it 38-12 with eight minutes to go in the third quarter, but from there Capital began to gain some momentum and scored on back-to-back passing touchdowns from Everson to make it only a 13-point game at 38-25 heading into the fourth quarter.

Everson would finish with five passing touchdowns on the game for the Comets, including three in the second half, but he also threw three interceptions, and after Cunningham added a 21-yard field goal to open the scoring in the fourth quarter and make it 41-25, the margin was too wide for Capital to get back to within one possession.

The final tally of the night came as Denison milked the clock with a nine-play, 72-yard drive that was finished with another touchdown by Fabrocini, this time from six yards out with just over three minutes left to play.

Both teams finished with over 320 yards of offensive and over 140 yards on the ground, and both had 23 first downs, but it was the 0-for-4 conversion rate on fourth down and on two-point tries that kept the Comets from furthering their comeback attempt.

Next weekend, the Big Red will hit the road to the Buffalo, New York, area as they battle a first-year program in Hilbert College at 12 p.m. on Saturday, September 10.