Dayton’s offense rolls over Taylor for 2nd win of season

DAYTON — The Dayton Flyers scored on its first three possessions to start the game Saturday afternoon as they beat the Taylor University Trojans, 52-20, at Welcome Stadium.

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UD had over 556 yards of total offense, 303 passing, and 253 rushing, as they improved to 2-1.

Quarterback Dante Casciola threw for 277 yards and two long touchdown passes while running Michael Neel rushed for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Wide receiver Gavin Lochow caught three passes for 124 yards and a score. Quarterback Cole Dow rushed for two touchdowns.

Neel put the Flyers ahead, 7-0, in the first quarter with a 16-yard touchdown run and Luke Hansen followed with a six-yard scoring run to increase it to 14-0.

The Trojans were stopped on fourth down at Dayton’s 25-yard-line and Casciola found Joey Swanson for a 59-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 21-0 after one quarter.

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Sam Webster opened the second quarter scoring with a 38-yard field goal as UD led, 24-0. Taylor scored 14 straight points as Dakohta Sonnichsen caught a 74-yard touchdown and Ja Thomas’ two-yard touchdown got them within 10 points, 24-14, with 1:45 left until halftime.

The Flyers responded with a 16-play, 74-yard drive, that Dow capped with a two-yard touchdown run as Dayton led, 31-14, at halftime.

Neel scored his second touchdown of the game on an 18-yard scoring run on UD’s first possession of the second half. Taylor took advantage of a blocked punt and took after the Flyers’ 47-yard line with 3:38 left in the third quarter. Stephen Ellis’ three-yard touchdown run cut it to 38-20 after three quarters.

Dayton faced a third down early in the fourth quarter, but Casciola went deep and found Lochow for a 55-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 45-20. Thomas fumbled on the Trojans’ next series and Nathan Arthur recovered for UD. On the next play, Dow’s 13-yard touchdown run capped the scoring.

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Dayton begins Pioneer Football League play next Saturday at San Diego at 5 p.m. from Torero Stadium in San Diego, CA.

Coverage on WHIO Radio starts at 4:30 p.m. with Larry Hansgen and Mike Kelly. The game will also be carried here at whio.com.

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