GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College football team opened its 2025 home schedule Saturday afternoon by dropping a 49-14 decision to No. 2 Mount Union (2-0) at Robert E. Thorn Field.

The 15th-ranked Wolverines took a 7-0 lead on the opening drive of the game as junior quarterback Sutton Ellis (Brunswick, Ga./Frederica Academy) scored on a 10-yard run. That run capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive that used 4:38.

Senior running back Ian Demeri (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) set up the Ellis score with a 43-yard run to the Mount Union 6. 

Mount Union tied the game 35 seconds later, however, when Darnell Williams sprinted 67 yards to the end zone. Shaun Thomas doubled the lead to 14-7 with a 14-yard touchdown run three minutes later. 

Mount Union extended the lead to 28-7 by halftime on touchdown runs by Williams and quarterback Mikey Maloney.

Senior quarterback Ethan Wiley (Mercer, Pa./Mercer) closed the scoring by throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Daniel Sullivan (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) in the fourth quarter. 

Demeri led Grove City with 76 rushing yards on 13 carries. Ellis completed 8 of 21 passes for 71 yards while Wiley threw for 65 yards on 7-of-13 accuracy. 

Sullivan led the Wolverines with five catches for 31 yards. Junior wide receiver Breck Peacock (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Academy) had four catches for 62 yards and junior wide receiver Sam Penna (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) added a season-high four catches for 33 yards. 

Senior linebacker Ben Bladel (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon) recorded three tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Jack Jollie (Jeannette, Pa./Penn-Trafford), senior safety Boden Davidson (Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale Christian) and junior cornerback Dominic DiNinno (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area) all had six tackles. 

Maloney completed 21 of 31 passes for 305 yards. Williams finished with 116 rushing yards and three scores. Mount Union outgained Grove City, 498-280. Neither team turned over the ball and the teams combined for only nine penalties - five on Grove City and four committed by Mount Union.

Grove City has its open week next week. The Wolverines will host Washington & Jefferson at 7 p.m. September 27 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference opener for both teams.