The Snow College football team earned a convincing 62-0 victory over the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School Saturday in Ephraim.  With the shutout, the Badgers have not surrendered a single point through the first three games of the season, outscoring their opponents 188-0.
 
Snow College entered the game on the heels of a 70-0 victory against Community Christian College Detroit last weekend.  Following the victory, the Badgers moved up to fourth in the NJCAA Division I Football Poll.
 
After electing to receive the opening kickoff, the Badgers scored quickly, needing just seven plays to break the tie.  Shandon King, who returned the opening kick 35 yards near midfield, finished the drive by reeling in a 32-yard pass from quarterback Donnie Smith to give the Badgers the 6-0 lead after a missed extra point.
 
The Snow College defense forced a punt on the Huskies' first drive.  The snap on fourth down was mishandled and the Badgers recovered at the USAFA 19-yard line.  It only took four plays before Matt Wilson punched it in from two yards out.  Wilson carried the load on the PAT try as well and the 2-point conversion was successful.
 
Fortune favored the Badgers on their next drive.  They gained just two yards and were forced to punt.  Jay Summers' punt bounced off a Huskies blocker and Matthew Smith fell on the live ball to keep the drive going.  Adonis Tillman would score two plays later on a 10-yard rush and the Badgers led 21-0 with three and a half minutes left in the first quarter.
The Badgers were forced to punt on their first possession of the second quarter but forced a 3-and-out to get the ball right back.  A 39-yard pass play from Smith to De'yhare Overstreet set the Badgers up inside the Huskies' 5-yard line. Smith found Wilson three plays later to give the Badgers a 27-0 lead after the PAT was blocked.
 
The biggest play of the night came on the Badgers' next possession.  Smith found Reggie Frischknecht in the flat who was able to avoid all would-be tacklers as he electrified Terry Foote Stadium with a 51-yard touchdown reception.
 
Smith and Frischknecht would connect again on the first play of the Badgers' next drive.  Smith lofted the ball to the goal line.  Frischknecht leaped into the air over his defender and snatched the ball to secure the 22-yard pitch and catch.  Frischknecht leads all of NJCAA Division I in receiving touchdowns this season with five.  The Badgers would take a 41-0 lead into the break.
 
It was more of the same in the third quarter starting on the defensive end.  On the Huskies' third play of the second half, quarterback Josiah Bushnell dropped back to pass.  Three Badgers penetrated the backfield.  As Bushnell retreated, the ball slipped from his hands.  It was recovered by Marrio Williams Jr, who ran it back 13 yards into the end zone for the touchdown.
 
Snow College was held scoreless through the rest of the period but struck again in the early minutes of the fourth quarter.  It was a 12-play, 71-yard drive, which culminated in Tillman crossing the goal line on the ground from one yard out. 
 
The Badgers' final tally of the night came on their very next drive.  Smith recorded a career-high fifth touchdown pass of the evening when he found Drew Patterson through the air from seven yards out to give the Badgers a 62-0 edge.  Snow College would win by the same score, notching their third consecutive shutout to start the 2024 season.
 
As a team, the Badgers recorded 399 yards of total offense on 59 plays.  Defensively, the number one defense in the nation held the Huskies to just 120 yards, including 66 rush yards and 54 yards through the air.  The defense also forced five fumbles and recovered four.
 
Smith finished the game going 18-30 for 243 yards and five touchdowns.  He leads the nation in touchdown passes with 12.  He finished with 26 touchdown passes during the 2023 season.  Tillman surpassed the century mark on the ground for the second time this season tallying 111 rush yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.  Frischknecht caught three passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns to aid in the victory.
 
The Badgers now enter a stretch of four consecutive road games beginning with No. 14 Lackawanna College next Saturday in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  The Falcons are 2-0 overall this season after defeating Louisburg College Saturday. 
 
The Badgers are 4-1 all time against Lackawanna and have won each of their last four meetings.  Snow College defeated the Falcons 50-21 last season in Ephraim.  Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. MDT next Saturday inside PENFED Field at Scranton Memorial Stadium.  For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.