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FBvCATH.McNeil
Dave Hilbert, D3photography.com
35
Methodist University MUFB 4-6
70
Winner Shenandoah Hornets SU 6-4
Methodist University MUFB
4-6
35
Final
70
Shenandoah Hornets SU
6-4
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MUFB Methodist University 7 7 0 21 35
SU Shenandoah Hornets 7 35 7 21 70

Game Recap: Football |

McNeil Sets MU Season Receptions Mark

WINCHESTER, Va.  Wide receiver Xzavier McNeil set a Methodist University receptions mark for a season during Saturday's season-ending 70-35 non-conference loss at Shenandoah University.

McNeil gathered in nine catches against the Hornets to push his season mark to 69, eclipsing the previous single-season record of 67 from Vaughn Cross in the 2013 season.

Those 69 catches lifted McNeil to the head of the class in the final USA South Athletic Conference regular-season totals, in which he also claimed top honors in yards (770) and yards per game (77.0).

The junior receiver wasn't alone in topping a conference statistics column as his quarterback, freshman Brandon Bullins, led the league with 192 completions and a 212.9 yards-per-game average. Bullins' completions number is third most in the history of the program.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Shenandoah def. Methodist, 70-35
Records: Methodist 4-6, Shenandoah 6-4
Location: Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium; Winchester, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • A tight game -- tied at 7-7 after the first quarter -- broke wide open in the second 15-minute frame as the Hornets put up 35 points while surrendering just one touchdown to the visiting Monarchs.
  • Bullins tossed a 14-yard scoring pass to McNeil late in the opening quarter to square the game after Shenandoah had marched down the field with a 66-yard touchdown drive on its opening possession. The wheels fell off for Methodist in the second quarter, though.
  • The Hornets capped a nine-play, 64-yard drive, that began at the end of the first quarter, with a Chris Sonnenberg TD pass that began the second frame.
  • Shenandoah added another TD soon after following an errant snap over the Monarch punter's head on a fourth down, handing the ball over to the Hornets at the Methodist 19 yard line.
  • A blocked punt returned for a TD added to the Hornet cushion on the next series, and a Bullins interception on the ensuing possession turned into a two-play Shenandoah TD drive.
  • Bullins and McNeil hooked up again midway through the quarter to temporarily stall the Hornet attack, but at halftime the score was 42-14 -- despite a difference of just six seconds in time of possession.
  • Methodist added fourth-quarter scores from running back Nick Baker, twice, and yet another Bullins-to-McNeil TD connection, but the die had been cast with Shenandoah's second-quarter outburst.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
  • Methodist accumulated advantages in first downs (27-23), rushing yards (149-122) and time of possession (34:33-25:27).
  • Baker led all runners with 133 yards while teammate Jamaar Moore led the Monarch receivers in yards, with 145.
  • On the defensive side of the ball, Methodist's Roderic Christian Jr. led all tacklers with 15, including 9 solo tackles. His numbers from Saturday give him 108.0 tackles for the season, second most in the conference
  • Bullins' 343 yards ties his season best and elevated his season total to 2,129 yards, second in the league and fifth all-time for a Methodist quarterback. His season total of 15 TD passes is tied for sixth most in a Monarch campaign.
  • Moore's 46 receptions on the year are the second most in the league, and his 567 receiving yards rank fifth most in the conference.
  • Joining McNeil and Moore in the USA South top 10 at wide receiver is Kobe Praylow, who finishes the year with 37 catches and 449 yards, ranking fifth and seventh, respectively, in the league.
  • Baker's rushing total from Saturday gives him 524 for the year, 10th amongst the league's runners.
  • Shenandoah's Sonnenberg connected for 367 passing yards -- only the freshman's second-best output in a game this season -- and the 70 points scored by the Hornets is a single-game record.
    
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