By Ryan Briggs
Grove City SID
Where were you when you found out "The Streak" had ended? Some of the loyal readers may be been at the game. Others were probably on their way home from watching their favorite team. Those who elected to stay home from the dreary weather probably followed on D3football.com.
No matter where you were, the news of Ohio Northern's 21-14 victory over Mount Union in Alliance Saturday spread quickly throughout the Division III world.
The defeat snapped the Purple Raiders' 110-game regular season win streak as well as their 99-game win streak in the Ohio Athletic Conference.
Freshman running back R.J. Meadows ran for three touchdowns in the first half while defensive back Rusty Midlam intercepted three passes, tying an ONU single-game record.
"It is a great honor," ONU head coach Dean Paul said via telephone Monday afternoon. "This conference is a great conference. There are a ton of great teams in the OAC. To not lose a game in this conference for so long -- to do what (Mount Union) did is amazing."
The celebration begins. Ohio Northern photo by Jose Nogueras |
Ohio Northern's victory came down to more that just basic X's and O's. According to Paul, the Polar Bears' ability to withstand big changes in momentum proved to be very significant.
"Mount Union has the ability to create an avalanche of momentum," Paul said. "They have great players and great coaches. Those are the types of challenges you have to be ready for. You have to be able to answer their big plays."
That is exactly what the Polar Bears did Saturday. Actually, Ohio Northern fired the first salvo by opening the game with an onside kick. Shawn Toal recovered the ball at the ONU 46, giving the Polar Bears great field position and plenty of momentum.
Meadows scored a pair of touchdowns in the first 12 minutes, giving Northern a 14-0 lead. Then the inevitable Mount Union big play hit as the Purple Raiders blocked a punt with 9:29 left in the first half. Justen Stickley blocked the punt and Raider Matt Kostelnik returned the block 42 yards for a touchdown.
Whereas most teams have started to wilt against Mount Union in those situations, the Polar Bears responded. ONU assembled an 11-play, 72-yard drive that Meadows capped with a 24-yard touchdown run.
Then, at the end of the first half, Northern stopped Mount Union on three plays from the 1, keeping the lead at 21-7 at the half.
Midlam ended a Mount Union scoring threat in the third quarter with an interception, the 20th of his career. Mount Union did not go quietly, though. Mike Jorris hit Maxwell Smith for a 35-yard touchdown with 2:24 left in the game. On the drive, the Purple Raiders converted a pair of fourth-down situations.
Ohio Northern recovered the onside kick but Mount Union stopped Meadows on fourth-and-1 at the 45 with 48 seconds left. Thus, Mount Union needed 55 yards and had no timeouts remaining. Mount Union advanced to the ONU 44 but Josh Lokai-Owen sacked Jorris on the final play of the game to seal the win.
Last season, Mount Union pulled out a hard-fought 41-27 win over the Polar Bears in Ada. Although ONU didn't win that game, Paul indicated that his squad did reap some benefits from last year's meeting.
"We didn't talk about last year's game," he began, "but we had confidence based on last year."
The victory moves Ohio Northern into a three-way tie for first in the OAC with Mount Union and John Carroll. All three are 5-1 in the OAC, 6-1 overall.
Getting to this point has not been easy for the Polar Bears. Earlier this season, the NCAA ruled that Ohio Northern could not participate in this year's playoffs due to infractions committed under former head coach Tom Kaczkowski.
That decision is currently under appeal, which means that Ohio Northern could still be in contention for a playoff spot.
On top of that, the Polar Bears lost All-America defensive end Jason Trusnik and standout strong safety Matt Carey to injury earlier this season.
"We have a very resilient group," Paul said. "All of this has made them tougher mentally. They really didn't have any other choice.
"To see how the guys responded from a rough 7-8 days (including a surprising 50-25 loss to John Carroll) -- it took a lot of toughness to come back."
As a reward, Ohio Northern gets to host surging Capital this Saturday in Ada.
"Capital is a great team and it will be a great challenge," Paul said. "Saturday was a lot of fun but we have already talked to the guys about putting that behind them and focusing on Capital and being ready for them."
For Mount Union, the defeat ends a streak that dates back to the 1994 season. Still, the Purple Raiders are in position to earn at least a share of the conference title and will definitely be a force in the playoffs next month, barring the unforeseen.
Great Lakes Region fans can only hope that these two heavyweights meet up again in the playoffs. It very well could happen. (And hopefully, it would be a weekend that I could attend!)
The Zoo
Kalamazoo's recipe from winning Saturday wasn't exactly a classic: allow Alma 33 first downs, 658 yards of offense and 21 first-quarter points. Yet, the Hornets threw the MIAA race into a real mess by rallying for a 38-37 victory over conference leader Alma at Angell Field.
Kalamazoo took its only lead of the game with 3:14 left as Tim Kaselitz threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Green on fourth-and-4. That capped a 23-play, 88-yard drive. Earlier in the quarter, Kaselitz pitched a 36-yard touchdown pass to Stan Peplinski, closing the gap to 35-31.
Kaselitz completed 39 of 67 passes for 495 yards and five touchdowns. Kalamazoo ran the ball only 18 times for 27 yards. The last carry was an intentional safety with eight seconds left that lopped 21 yards off the Hornets' total.
Green caught 13 passes for a school-record 223 yards. He caught four of Kaselitz's touchdown passes.
Penalties and turnovers crippled Alma, which fell to 5-2 overall (5-1 against D-III teams) and 3-1 in the league. Alma committed five turnovers and was flagged for 13 penalties. Those penalties cost the Scots 111 yards.
The defeat overshadowed another notable effort from Alma quarterback Josh Brehm. Brehm accumulated 531 yards of total offense. He completed 31 of 54 passes for 445 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 86 yards on 13 attempts.
Cole Thelen caught seven balls for 113 yards for Alma while Tyler Thelen pulled in two touchdown receptions. The Scots' loss creates another logjam in the MIAA.
Alma, Albion and Hope are all 3-1. Adrian, Kalamazoo and Olivet are all 2-2.
Plenty of Hope
Don't be deceived by the final 42-21 score of Hope's home win over Adrian Saturday in Holland, Mich. After battling inconsistency all season, Hope put its best 30 minutes of football together in the first half against the Bulldogs, racing out to a 35-0 lead. The Hope defense forced a pair of turnovers and six punts in the first half. For the game, Adrian managed just 36 rushing yards on 20 attempts.
Hope scored on each of its four second-quarter possessions. Joe Schwander threw two touchdown passes to Brady Wilson and also ran for a touchdown. David Booko, whose 7-yard touchdown run in the first quarter opened the scoring, capped the 35-point outburst with a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:46 left in the half.
Wilson finished the day with seven catches for 133 yards.
Big win for Little Giants
Wabash took control of the NCAC race with a come-from-behind 26-20 win over Wittenberg in a clash of conference undefeateds in Crawfordsville.
Brandon Roop's 2-yard touchdown run with 4:59 left in the second quarter put the Little Giants ahead to stay, 26-20. Wittenberg took a 20-14 lead earlier in the period on Jered Glover's 65-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Holmes. In the first quarter, a Glover 8-yard touchdown run put the Tigers up 10-0.
Wabash quarterback Russ Harbaugh completed 22 of 33 passes for 271 yards. He threw touchdowns to Ray Green and Eric Summers, but his biggest completion was a 10-yarder to Graham Nelson on third-and-10 with less than three minutes left. The completion picked up a crucial first down and allowed the Little Giants to melt the clock. Wabash took over at midfield with 3:43 left and did not relinquish possession.
Wabash now has a one-and-a-half-game lead over Ohio Wesleyan, Kenyon and Wittenberg. Wabash owns wins over both OWU and Wittenberg and can clinch at least a share NCAC title with a win at Allegheny this Saturday.
"We control our own destiny," Harbaugh said. "It's up to us at this point."
The loss snaps Wittenberg's three-game win streak.
Cat's meow
Thiel moved closer to its first Presidents' Athletic Conference title since 1972 with a 34-0 win at Westminster's muddy Memorial Field in New Wilmington, Pa. Saturday.
The Tomcats held Westminster to minus-3 yards rushing and just six total first downs. Westminster also converted just one of 13 third-down situations.
Thiel quarterback Darrell Satterfield fired four touchdown passes as part of his 334-yard outing. Brandon Chambers caught touchdown passes of 24, 25 and eight yards while Mark LaScola hauled in a 78-yarder from Satterfield.
Chambers finished the afternoon with nine catches for 140 yards. Fullback Jeremiah Conley scored Thiel's final touchdown, a 10-yard run with 1:23 left.
With a home win over Thomas More on Saturday, Thiel will clinch the outright PAC title.
Thunder and lightning
Washington and Jefferson ran for 307 yards and threw for 351 in a 63-0 PAC win over Bethany Saturday night at historic Cameron Stadium.
Fullback R.J. Zitzelsberger, the Presidents' "Mr. Inside," scored on touchdown runs of 1, 1, 1 and 4 yards as part of his 20-carry, 122-yard outing. Halback Ryan Mendel, "Mr. Outside," added 106 yards on 10 carries.
The Presidents racked up 35 second-quarter points en route to a 49-0 lead at the half.
Defensive crusade
Capital held Baldwin-Wallace to just 26 yards of offense Saturday as Capital rolled to a 34-0 home win over the Yellow Jackets in Bexley. It is Captial's third shutout of the season.
Lewis Howes caught 13 passes for 113 yards to lead the Crusader offense. Rocky Pentello threw three touchdown passes, giving him 64 for his career. Colin O'Reilly added 106 yards on 28 rushing attempts.
B-W defensive end Ryan Lewis did record his 10th sack of the season. He has 26 career sacks, four shy of the school record.
Down to the wire
Marietta out-gained Muskingum, 415-126, but needed a 1-yard touchdown pass from Jason Vrable to John Bokat to earn an 18-17 home win over the Muskies Saturday at Don Drumm Stadium. Vrable finished the game with 376 yards.
Nic North caught 14 passes for the Pioneers, a new school record. Muskingum finished with just seven first downs and attempted only three passes, two incompletions and an interception.
Around the MIAA
Olivet threw, yes, threw for 249 yards in a 42-26 home win over Tri-State Saturday. Chris Quackenbush completed 12 of 20 passes for 251 yards and a touchdown. Erik Jackson ran for 94 yards and three touchdowns for the Comets while Travis Sleight had a team-high 119 yards and two scores. Ryan Adams recorded three of the Comets' eight sacks. ... Albion stormed past Wisconsin Lutheran 41-0 in Milwaukee on Saturday. The Britons accumulated 610 yards of offense, including 335 on the ground.
Around the NCAC
Kenyon's glass slipper shattered Saturday as Ohio Wesleyan marched into Gambier and claimed a 41-14 win over the Lords. Kenyon fell to 3-1 in the NCAC while Ohio Wesleyan is also 3-1 in the league. Kenyon lost standout running back Alby Coombs in the second quarter. Kyle Sherman intercepted two passes for OWU, giving him 16 in his career. That is a new OWU career record. ... Wooster survived Oberlin's upset bid, winning 20-19. Jeff Geffert's interception with 10 seconds left at the Wooster 8 sealed the victory. Oberlin led 12-7 at the half but could not hang on for the upset. ... Larry Cappetto's 271 yards of total offense lifted Denison to a 38-7 win over struggling Earlham. Cappetto threw two touchdown passes, giving him 38 for his career. He also ran for a touchdown. Fred Lee added 115 yards rushing. The Big Red is now 3-2 in the NCAC. ... Allegheny broke into the win column with a 38-6 win over Hiram. Mario Tarquinio ran for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Gators, who host Wabash this week.
Around the OAC
Although Mount Union and Ohio Northern have garnered a lot of attention in the OAC, don't forget about John Carroll! The Blue Streaks are 5-1 in the OAC after rolling at Heidelberg, 49-21. Doug Phillips threw five touchdown passes and accumulated 417 passing yards. Brandon Oing moved past the 2,000-yard mark for his career with 94 rushing yards against The Berg. John Carroll clinched its 19th straight winning season. ... Otterbein improved to 4-0 at home with a 47-14 victory over Wilmington. The Cardinals led 26-0 at the half. Senior cornerback Kyle Whaley tied an Otterbein record with three interceptions. Quarterback Paul Steltzer threw for 321 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Otterbein is still in contention for a Pool C bid at 5-2, although the Cardinals probably need some help.
Around the PAC
While other teams throughout the Great Lakes Region were posting gaudy offensive numbers, Grove City and Waynesburg hooked up in a classic Western Pennsylvania slugfest at muddy Robert E. Thorn Field. The host Wolverines took advantage of a pair of blocked kicks and pulled out a 7-6 win on Senior Day. Senior strong safety Aaron Margo blocked a Waynesburg punt in the fourth quarter, giving Grove City first-and-goal at the 1. Fullback Ken Roudybush bulled in, putting Grove City up 7-6. In the first quarter, Waynesburg's Ryan Abels rambled 78 yards for a touchdown but Grove City's Steve Weary blocked the extra point. It is the fourth straight game that Weary has blocked a PAT. He has five blocks for the season and eight for his career. ... Thomas More stepped out of PAC play and whipped Anderson, 38-14. Seth Ellis and Trevor Stellman each threw touchdown passes for the Saints (5-2 overall).
Games of the Week
Capital at Ohio Northern: Both teams' playoff hopes are at stake in Ada. Capital can stay alive for Pool C consideration with a win while Ohio Northern needs a win to hang onto a share of the OAC lead.
Thomas More at Thiel: The two undefeated teams in the PAC meet in Greenville. A Thiel win would give the Tomcats their first conference title in 33 years. Thomas More, meanwhile, would bolster its Pool B resume with a victory over the undefeated Tomcats. Thomas More can clinch a tie for the PAC title with a win.
Hope at Albion: Each team is coming off huge wins last week. Both are 3-1 in the MIAA. Both have explosive offenses. Considering it's the always-fun-to-follow MIAA, we're probably due for a 9-7 game or something. No matter what, the loser's MIAA title hopes are in serious jeopardy.
