WASHINGTON - The Gallaudet University football team dropped the 2022 season opener, 52-14, to Waynesburg University here Saturday at Hotchkiss Field.

Gallaudet (0-1) rolled up 305 yards on the ground and held the ball for over 35 minutes of play but costly turnovers and penalties impacted its chances to win the game.

A power outage on Gallaudet's campus delayed the game two hours before the season kicked off for both teams. Waynesburg (1-0) scored a touchdown on its opening drive that covered 61 yards on seven plays. GU responded with its own touchdown drive that took six plays and covered 69 yards. Sophomore superback Dre'Vaughn Mackall (Prince Frederick, Md.) ran in from six yards out to tie the game at 7-7.

The Yellow Jackets scored 10 points on two of their next three drives to take a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Gallaudet took possession of the ball at its own 12-yard line at the 11:16 mark. The Bison then went on a lengthy drive that took 19 plays that covered 78 yards and chewed up 10 minutes and 32 seconds of the clock. GU got down to the 2-yard line and had to move back due to a penalty. On the next play, junior quarterback Nicholas Maccini (San Diego, Calif.) fumbled the ball for the second time that half to kill momentum for the buff and blue.

Waynesburg took the 10-point lead into the half.

In the second half, the two teams traded touchdowns on their opening drives before the Yellow Jackets outscored the Bison 28-0 down the stretch. GU turned the ball over four times (two fumbles, one interception, one on downs) on their next four consecutive drives. Waynesburg scored on 5 of 7 chances after a Bison turnover in the game. 

Waynesburg finished the game with 414 yards of offense (249 yards on the ground) as quarterback Tyler Raines completed 13 of 16 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns, he also ran one score in. Running back Nick Hall led all rushers with 110 yards on 12 carries while Justin Flack scored twice on eight carries for 85 yards.

Maccini ran the ball 17 times for 94 yards as five different Bison ran for 58 or more yards behind the starting offensive line of senior Mitch Dolinar (Las Vegas, Nev.), junior Jay Waters (Cape Coral, Fla.) and sophomores John Scarboro (Austin, Texas), Iopu Vaimauga (Federal Way, Wash.), Calder Nicholson (Toronto, Ontario).

During halftime the Gallaudet Athletics Department paid tribute to the 1971 Gallaudet football team, known as the "Dirty 30", as many members returned to campus along with hundreds of other football alumni during a special Gallaudet Football Reunion Weekend. 

UP NEXT
GU will next play host to Greensboro College on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 1 p.m.