TIFFIN – It wasn't pretty, but the Heidelberg University football team weathered a spirited effort from a scrappy Marietta College squad and won its fifth game of the season, 40-20. A balanced offensive attack racked up 531 yards of total offense – 280 on the ground, 251 through the air.
THREE STARS
Tailback Cartel Brooks rebounded from his worst day in the Tricolor last week (seven carries, one yard) with an explosive afternoon. Brooks had 249 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
Wide Receiver Donteea Dye continued his stellar senior season with an eight-catch afternoon that yielded two touchdowns and 160 yards.
Cornerback Tim Littles had five tackles, but it was his defensive PAT that wowed the home crowd on Community Day at Hoernemann Stadium. After the Pioneers scored their first touchdown, the extra point was blocked. Littles scooped up the loose ball around the 15-yard line and dashed to the end zone for two points.
KEY STATS
The Heidelberg defense limited Marietta to 90 net rushing yards. Pioneer freshman Nick O'Neal was held to 3.2 yards per carry.
A.J. Morrison kicked a 43-yard field goal, his second three-pointer of more than 40 yards this season.
Marietta's two touchdown drives in the second quarter milked nearly 12 minutes off of the clock.
Heidelberg QB Michael Mees was 17-for-33 passing for 251 yards and three touchdowns. His 51.5% completion percentage was down from his season average of
FIRST QUARTER
Marietta (2-5, 1-5 OAC) won the toss, took the opening kick and drove it to the cusp of the red zone. On 4th-and-4 from the Berg 21, Pio QB Akil Young couldn't connect with Josh Llaneza.
After a punt by each team, Heidelberg (5-2, 4-2 OAC) struck first. Brooks found the edge and raced 71 yards for the opening score. Stephen Smith's PAT was good and Heidelberg lead 7-0.
The next three possessions – two for Marietta and one for Heidelberg – were three-and-outs. It looked like a fourth three-and-out was imminent when Mees was sacked for a third time in the opening frame. On 2nd-and-18, Mees dropped a pass into the arms of Dye. The senior caught the pass in stride and raced down the sideline to the end zone for a 73-yard blast.
SECOND QUARTER
The Pioneers, drubbed 80-0 by John Carroll a week ago, controlled much of the second quarter. A 14-play Pio touchdown drive that covered 75 yards was aided by a pair of long conversions, 3rd-and-18 and 4th-and-5. It was capped by a seven-yard rush by O'Neal.
Littles' defensive PAT on the blocked extra point try by Jared Meikle made the score 16-6.
Heidelberg turned the ball over on downs at the Marietta 37 on the ensuing possession. Ten plays later, Marietta found paydirt again. Young hit Tannon Roberts for a 20-yard pass to cap the drive. O'Neal scored on the two-point conversion and brought the Pioneers to within two points.
With 1:27 left in the half, the high-octane Heidelberg offense was able to operate at normal speed. Faced with 4th-and-five at the Marietta 25, Mees hit Christian Dominguez for a 16-yard gain. Dominguez went out of bounds at the nine with 0:05 remaining. Rather than kick a field goal, head coach Mike Hallett opted to go for a touchdown. Twice, Marietta called time out after seeing the Heidelberg formation. Hallett's desire to go for six did not waver.
As the half ended, Mees' pass to Dye in the back of the end zone was high, but the senior from Fairfield managed to snare the dart and got a foot in bounds for the score. Smith's successful try gave HU a 23014 lead at intermission.
THIRD QUARTER
Morrison's 43-yard field goal with 0:33 on the clock were the only points of a lackluster quarter which featured five punts and a fumble.
FOURTH QUARTER
Marietta opened the scoring in the fourth with another 20-yard pass play. This time, Young found Tyler Anderson for the score. The two-point conversion attempt, a Young pass intended for Josh Llaneza, fell incomplete
Holding a one-score lead, the Tricolor offense rose to the occasion. Dye went for 20 yards on a bubble-screen, Brooks had three carries for 43 yards and Cameron Vocke had a 16-yard carry to move HU into the red zone. On 3rd-and-goal from the five, Mees hit Robert Gray along the back of the end zone for a crucial touchdown.
After an MC three-and-out, the Berg extended the lead with another Brooks touchdown. On the drive, Brooks had 44 yards on six carries and scored from a yard out.
Marietta threatened again on their next drive, moving the ball down to the Heidelberg three. On second-and-goal, Young's pass for Roberts was intercepted on the goal line by Will Lance. The pick, coming with just under four minutes remaining, essentially sealed the game for the Student Princes.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
The defensive PAT was the first for Heidelberg since Charlie Peffley accomplished the feat in a 34-31 loss at Otterbein in 2007.
Mees' completion percentage of 51.5% on the day was down from his season average of 64.1%.
Dye's two TD grabs brought his career total to 22, moving him past Chuck Ritzler (1982-85) for second on Heidelberg's career list. Mike Preston holds the record with 27.
Brooks has now rushed for 200+ yards in four games as a Student Prince.
Young, a sophomore, finished with a season-high 264 yards on 21-of-37 passing.
A FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE
Saturday was Community Day at Hoernemann Stadium. Local businesses with representatives in attendance were recognized at halftime. Many of the representatives were local contractors who worked on the construction of Hoernemann Stadium.
The Tiger Pride Band from nearby Seneca East High School joined Heidelberg's Athletic Band. Both ensembles performed at halftime.
NOTABLE QUOTES
Tailback Cartel Brooks about grinding ball in the fourth quarter: ""We started to get their guys to move up front and were able to capitalize ... if we can do that every game, I think everything is going to work out for both the pass and run games."
Wide receiver Donteea Dye on the last-second grab in the first half: "We went with trips on the left and we ended up rolling out to the right ... We had a man under and a man on the top and everyone drove down. It opened up the back of the end zone for me ... Mike [Mees] and I do that rollout drill every day, so chemistry between us is crazy."
Head coach Mike Hallett on Heidelberg's overall play: "Marietta played very inspired and we played very very flat ... We got [our players'] attention at halftime and we played much more appropriately in the second half ... It wasn't a talent issue, it was an execution issue ... We did a better job of that in the second half."
Hallett about his decision to forgo the field goal and try for the touchdown at the end of the first half: "I felt that a touchdown there would really help us momentum-wise and give us a little breathing room so we could settle in for the second half."
Hallett about another big day for Cartel Brooks: "Cartel's such a good player and he's such so many explosive, long runs, so that I think at times this year he's pressed a bit, trying to hit a home run ... I think he settled down and played well today, taking what was there -- and as he took what was there, big things opened up."
Hallett about Marietta tailback Nick O'Neal: "That back is a monster ... I think our guys were consistently putting good hits on him, they were just better hits in the second half."
Hallett on the tenacity of Marietta: "They did some good things schematically ... It was a great job by Marietta ... I thought they were very spirited and played with lots of energy, so hats off to them."
UP NEXT
The Student Princes will start November on the road at Wilmington. Kickoff with the winless Fighting Quakers is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.