ASHLAND, Va. – Matt Pawlowski (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) threw two touchdowns and Josh Schow (Herndon, Va./Herndon) ran for two in Guilford College’s 28-6 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) football win at Randolph-Macon College Saturday.
The Quakers’ seventh win in eight games improved their record to 6-1 (3-1 ODAC), Guilford’s best start since 1994.
Schow carried 16 times for 111 yards and also caught two passes for 90 yards. He scored on a career-long 62-yard run on fourth-down and one from the Quakers’ 38-yard line in the third quarter, which opened a 14-6 Guilford edge.
The touchdown started a streak of three scores in as many second-half possessions. After Schow’s long score, the Yellow Jackets (3-4, 1-3 ODAC) moved to the Quakers’ 26-yard line before turning the ball over on downs. The Quakers’ offense returned and marched 74 yards in 11 plays. Pawlowski connected with Adam Smith (Mocksville, N.C./Davie County) from 20 yards out for the junior’s league-high 11th touchdown catch of the season, which gave the visitors a 21-6 edge late in the third quarter.
Randolph-Macon picked up a first down on its ensuing possession on a Guilford penalty, but punted the ball back to the Quakers, which enabled Pawlowski to conduct another long scoring drive. Schow picked up his second score of the day and his fifth in two games with a one-yard plunge, which capped an 11-play, 87-yard adventure. The drive consumed over six minutes and left the Yellow Jackets a little over four minutes to overcome a 22-point deficit.
Randolph-Macon advanced to the Quakers’ 15-yard line before Guilford’s Satiir Stevenson picked off Zac Naccarato in the end zone on the game’s final play. The theft marked Stevenson’s team-leading fourth of the season and Guilford’s third of the game. Junior JerMario Gooch (Raleigh, N.C./Knightdale) intercepted Naccarato on Randolph-Macon’s final first-half drive at the Quakers’ 32 and on its first second-half drive near midfield.
Guilford’s Pawlowski completed 24 passes to seven different receivers for 386 yards. He surpassed the 300-yard passing plateau for the fourth time this season and now has a career-high 25 passing touchdowns with three interceptions. C.J. Hobbs (Sanford, N.C./Western Harnett) was his favorite target with 90 receiving yards on six grabs, including a 16-yard touchdown catch on third-and-goal in the second quarter. Smith finished with five receptions for 77 yards.
Sophomore linebacker Hunter Hoots (Midway, N.C./North Davidson) paced the Quakers’ defense with a game-high 14 tackles (12 solo). Jaylan Martin made 10 stops and Stevenson added nine in addition to his game-ending interception.
Naccarato carried 22 times for a game-high 127 yards and also passed for 89 yards. John Byrd added 101 rushing yards on 20 carries. John Connolly made two catches for 24 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. Randolph-Macon’s Ryan Burns and Tom Solak made eight tackles apiece on defense. Michael Farry had two of the Yellow Jackets’ four sacks.
Coach Chris Rusiewicz’s Quakers close out their home schedule next Saturday (11/1) against league-rival Catholic University of America at 1:00 p.m. in Guilford’s Homecoming and Senior Day game.