Mason junior quarterback Alex Nagel carried 19 times for 189 yards and four touchdowns in the Comets' 43-24 win at Sycamore on Friday, Aug. 28.

Nagel averaged 9.9 yards per carry, including a 49-yard long, and accounted for four of Mason's six rushing touchdowns. The Comets piled up 319 yards on the ground as a team, earning Nagel "Friday Night Star" honors in WLWT's Blitz Recap.

The numbers were a sharp departure from Week 1. In the season opener at Springboro on Aug. 21, Mason managed just 134 total yards in a 33-0 loss. Nagel completed 5 of 8 passes for 25 yards that night, and the offensive line gave up 14 tackles for loss, according to WLWT's Blitz 5 Top 25 rankings.

After that shutout, Sports Illustrated's Greater Miami Conference recap noted that head coach Brian Castner was hopeful Nagel could lead the way for the offense going forward.

Against Sycamore, Nagel answered.

The game was tight at the half. Mason Sports Radio reported the score at 14-12 in favor of the Comets after what the student-run broadcast called "a wild 2nd Quarter." Mason then outscored Sycamore 29-12 in the second half to pull away for the 19-point final margin.

@mhssportsradio: "End of 2nd — After a wild 2nd Quarter — Mason: 14 — Sycamore: 12 — Let's go Comets🏈❄️"

The victory moved Mason to 2-0. The Comets entered the week ranked No. 21 in WLWT's Blitz 5 Top 25 after the 33-0 loss to Springboro.

Mason's ground game will face a stiffer challenge Friday, Sept. 4, when the Comets host No. 3 Lakota West for the Hall of Fame game. The Firebirds are 2-0 after beating Lakota East 48-18 in Week 2, and running back Kenyon Norman rushed for 262 yards and four touchdowns in that win.