Box Score SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Shepherd University took advantage of four West Virginia Wesleyan turnovers en route  to a 56-7 win over the Bobcats in MEC football action at Ram Stadium on Saturday.

The Bobcats took a 7-0 lead when quarterback Jeremy Musselman scored on a 10-yard ramble with 10:44 left in the first quarter.

Shepherd answered back to tie the game on the ensuing kickoff when sophomore cornerback/return specialist CJ Davis (Hagerstown, Md./South Hagerstown) raced 91 yards for a score. Junior kicker Ryan Earls (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) added the extra point.      

Shepherd took a 14-7 lead when sophomore defensive lineman Shaquille Melvin (Owings Mills, Md./Franklin) forced a fumble and sophomore linebacker Octavius Thomas (Myrtle Beach, S.C./Myrtle Beach) recovered and ran 20 yards for a touchdown with 4:43 left in the first quarter.

Shepherd took a 21-7 lead with 2:22 left in the first quarter on a one-yard scoring plunge by sophomore running back Jabre Lolley (Wilmington Del./St. Mark's). The score was set up by an interception return by Davis.

The Rams took a 27-7 advantage when junior running back Allen Cross (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) scored on a four-yard run with 14:51 remaining in the second quarter.

Earls connected on a career-long tying 46-yard field goal with 6:01 remaining in the second quarter.

Lolley scored on a five-yard run with 4:55 left in the half to up the Shepherd lead to 37-7. A 15-yard interception return by senior free safety David Carter (Winchester, Va./John Handley).

The Rams took a 44-7 lead into the break as sophomore quarterback Jeff Ziemba (Wilmington Del./St. Mark's) teamed with junior wide receiver Dalton Boyd (Winchester, Va./Sherando/William & Mary) on a 38-yard scoring strike with 1:04 left in the first half. An interception by junior corner back Philip Rhoden (Columbia, Md./Long Reach) preceded the score.

Earls tacked on a 42-yard field goal with 2:51 left in the third quarter to increase the lead to 47-7.

Redshirt-freshman Rudie Henderson (Dumfries, Va./Forest Park/Hargrave Military) tackled Raymond Myers in the end zone for a safety with 12:15 left in the fourth quarter.

Shepherd added a score on a 69-yard run by redshirt-freshman Malik Harleston (Washington, D.C./McKinley Tech) with 12:03 remaining to complete the scoring. Junior kicker Mark Murphy (Queenstown, Md./Queen Anne's County) added the extra point.

Ziemba completed 9-of-16 passes for 122 yards for the Rams. Musselman completed 12-of-25 passes for 112 yards for the Bobcats.

Harleston had three carries for 93 yards to lead the  Shepherd ground game. Lolley added 14 carries for 64 yards

Shepherd totaled 338 yards of total offense with 202 rushing yards. West Virginia Wesleyan had 158 yards of total offense with only 31 rushing yards.

Thomas led the Shepherd defense with six tackles (four solo). Redshirt-freshman  defensive lineman Myles Humphrey (Upper Marlboro, Md. /Dr. Henry A. Wise) added four stops with 3.5 tackles-for-loss.

Shepherd improves to 4-0, 4-0 in conference play, while West Virginia Wesleyan drops to 1-3, 1-3. The Rams return to action next Saturday when they travel to University of Charleston for a 1 p.m. contest.