Truckee hammers mistake-prone Dayton

DAYTON - In a game marked by turnovers and special teams miscues, Truckee steamrolled Dayton, 51-14, Friday night. The win pushed Truckee's winning streak to 38 games.

Dayton fumbled the ball away four times in the first half as Truckee built a 30-6 halftime lead before cruising in the second half.

"You can't give bad or mediocre teams that many opportunities," said Dayton Coach Rob Turner. "We gave them field position all night. When you give a team like Truckee those kinds of opportunities, you pay for it."

The Dust Devils team was on its heels from the opening kickoff. Truckee's pooch kick caught Dayton by surprise, as the Wolverines recovered at Dayton's 21-yard line.

After Dayton's defense held - forcing a fumble on fourth and nine - the offense couldn't move the ball turning it over on downs after a fake punt from its own 31.

The Dust Devil 'D' looked like it would hold again, but Truckee quarterback Eric Holmer broke the logjam. Holmer converted a first down on 4th-down-and-six from the Dayton 26. Four plays later, senior running back Graham Christian scored the first touchdown on a 7-yard run.

Truckee used the pooch kick again on the kickoff, this time recovering the ball on the Dayton 16-yard line. Lowden Smith would convert a 26-yard field goal giving Truckee a 10-0 lead.

Electricity hit the crowd in the second quarter when Dayton's Payton Morena picked off a Holmer pass at the midfield and broke free for the touchdown. The two point conversion failed, but Dayton looked to be in the ball game, down four (10-6) with 10:18 left in the second quarter. Unfortunately for the Dust Devils, that was the last time they pressured the Wolverines.