FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Max Reber’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Vaughn Cross with 2:51 left in regulation lifted Methodist University to a 41-34 football win over visiting Guilford Saturday afternoon.
Reber amassed 422 total offensive yards and accounted for four of the Monarchs’ (2-0) touchdowns. He completed 28-of-42 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns. The junior quarterback also ran for a team-best 104 yards and a score on 11 carries. His 74-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter opened a 34-27 Methodist lead just 73 seconds after Guilford’s Tyler Hunt evened the score on a 23-yard field goal.
Reber’s 22-yard scoring pass to Blake Scott eight seconds before halftime broke a 10-10 tie and sent Methodist into the locker room with a 17-10 lead. B.J. Minter’s blocked field-goal attempt and Tyler Mitchell’s 41-yard return of the block set up the score. Cody Ausheman kicked a 33-yard field goal on the third quarter’s first possession, which opened a 20-10 Methodist edge.
Two Methodist turnovers helped Guilford tie the game in the fourth quarter. Satiir Stevenson recovered a third-quarter fumble on the Quakers’ 18-yard line, which led to a 23-yard scoring pass from Matt Pawlowski to Adam Smith. Hunter English’s interception of a Reber pass early in the fourth set up Hunt’s second field goal of the game, which tied the score at 27-27 with 11:44 to play.
After Reber’s long scoring jaunt, the Quakers answered with an 11-play, 85-yard scoring drive capped by Josh Schow’s second rushing score of the day, a two-yard plunge with 4:45 left in the game. Hunt’s point-after tied the game for the fourth and final time at 34.
Guilford drove to Methodist’s 32-yard line on its final possession, but turned the ball over on downs after Minter and Mike Jones combined on the Monarchs’ fourth sack of the game.
Schow finished with a game- and career-high 170 rushing yards on 26 carries. His 170 rushing yards are the most by a Guilford back since Mike Williams ’13 gained 182 yards in 2009. Pawlowski added 72 rushing yards and completed 26-of-50 passes for 270 yards. Smith caught 10 of those passes for 98 yards. Hunt kicked a career-long 43-yard field goal in the first quarter and also booted a school-record 81-yard punt in the second quarter. English finished with a team-high nine tackles.
Methodist’s Patrick Jacobs made eight catches for 76 yards and Cross finished with seven grabs for 121 yards. Cross’ 45-yard reception in the third quarter set up Darius Page’s four-yard scoring run that opened a 27-17 Methodist lead. Cross also returned a pair of kickoffs for 62 yards.
Guilford opens its home schedule Saturday (9/21) versus Averett University at 7:00 p.m.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Guilford............ 7 3 14 10 - 34 Methodist........... 10 7 10 14 - 41