Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
McGurie scores lone TD in Shrine Game
Eli McGuire made the most of his opportunity at the EastWest Shrine game.
Hoping to improve his standing among NFL scouts evaluating potential help for their teams, the LouisianaLafayette star scored the only touchdown Saturday in the West’s 10-3 victory before a crowd of 22,198 at Tropicana Field.
The 5-foot-9, 205-pound running back broke an 18yard run off right tackle, putting the West ahead for good early in the fourth quarter. San Diego State’s Calvin Munson recovered a fumble inside the West 5 yard-line, and another East threat was stopped on downs in the final minute of the game’s lowest scoring matchup since the East won 14-6 in 1992.
“I thought this week was going to be fun,” said McGuire, who finished with 42 yards rushing on seven carries. “It was fun, but at the same time it was a grind. You only get a week together. You’re learning a whole new playbook, so you’ve got to really focus in at practice.”
Idaho’s Austin Rehkow kicked a 27-yard field goal in the opening quarter for the West, and North Carolina’s Nick Weiler countered with a 21-yarder in the second quarter for the East.
McGuire, who rushed for 1,127 yards and seven TDs for Louisiana-Lafayette this season, scooted through a hole of the right side of the East defense to score the game’s only touchdown. Munson recovered a fumble by Michigan’s De’Veon Smith on third-and-2 from the West 5 to thwart an East scoring opportunity set up by a muffed punt.
“It was a run to the right, and it was all crowded. I had nowhere to go, so the O-line made a crease on the backside for me,” McGuire said. “I saw the crease and made one defender miss going into the end zone.”
Illinois’ Wes Lunt completed 11 of 14 passes for 101 yards and no interceptions, while sharing quarterback duties for the West with Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel and Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell, who led his school to its first New Year’s bowl appearance as a senior and is hoping to show he can make the transition from excelling in a shotgun spread offense in college to a pro-style attack in the NFL.
Terrell didn’t get many chances to throw Saturday, going 4 of 9 for 33 yards.
“This was an amazing opportunity and I learned a lot from it,” Terrell said. “I’m going to take everything I learned and implement it when my pro day comes around.”
Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush, Penn’s Alek Torgensen and Southern Mississippi’s Nick Mullens saw action at quarterback for the East, though none of them threw for more than 94 yards.
McGuire finished with 42 yards rushing on seven carries.