LA PLUME, Pa. – The Gallaudet University football team began the 2023 season here Saturday afternoon against Keystone College in a non-conference game.

Keystone set the tone early on and built up a three-score lead in the first half en route to a 27-6 victory over the Bison.

The Giants (1-0) marched down the field on the first drive of the contest as quarterback Donald Leach III threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jayson Nami, just over four minutes in. The point after attempt failed as Keystone led 6-0 in the first quarter.

Gallaudet (0-1) had to punt on its first three drives and gave Keystone the ball back at midfield midway through the second quarter. The Giants used six plays to cover 48 yards as Leach III (11-for-18, 145 yards) found Jorden Cook on a 36-yard touchdown pass at the 7:10 mark. Giants kicker Jeremiah Ortiz made the point after attempt as the lead stood at 13-0.

The two teams traded punts before GU made a costly turnover near midfield as the Bison fumbled away the ball to the Giants with 1:34 left in the first half.

Leach III and company went back to work and squeezed in six plays in just over a minute to score a touchdown right before halftime. Running back Mujaheed Muhammad (20 rushes, 90 yards) ran it in from five yards out as the Giants led 20-0 at the break.

GU regrouped and got on the scoreboard on the first drive of the third quarter. On the third play, junior quarterback Brandon Washington (Citronelle, Ala.) broke free and scored on a 63-yard touchdown run just a minute and a half into the second half. GU missed the point after attempt as the lead was cut down to 14 points, 20-6.

Washington finished the game with 145 yards on the ground. First-year quarterback Trevin Adams (Riverside, Calif.) made his GU debut and ran the ball nine times for 87 yards. GU finished with 329 rushing yards.

Gallaudet couldn't get things going the remainder of the game as the Bison turned the ball over on downs (twice), fumbled once and threw an interception to seal the game.

Muhammad added a second rushing touchdown with a seven-yard run in the fourth quarter to extend the Giants' lead to 21 points.

This is Keystone's first season in the Landmark Conference after being in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference for the previous two seasons.
 
BISON TRACKS

• Sophomore defensive back Carter Johnson (McCall, Idaho) led the defense with 10 tackles (seven solo)
• Junior linebacker Jacob Hartman (Petersburg, W.Va.) added eight tackles and two tackles for a loss of nine yards
• GU holds a 2-1 series lead over Keystone
• This was Gallaudet's first regular-season road loss since Nov. 6, 2021, at Anna Maria 

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will travel to the United States Merchant Marine Academy (1-0) in Kings Point, N.Y., next Saturday, Sept. 9, for a 1 p.m. non-conference game.