ALLIANCE, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University football team closed out the 2023 season as it fell to No. 2 nationally ranked University of Mount Union in an Ohio Athletic Conference game by a final score of 41-17 inside Kehres Stadium.
BW (6-4, 6-3 OAC) fell to 38-23-1 in the all-time series with Mount Union (10-0, 9-0 OAC). With the victory, the Purple Raiders claimed their 34th OAC Championship, including winning 27 of the last 28 titles. The 17 points scored by the Yellow Jackets were the most allowed by Mount Union this season.
Offensively for BW, senior quarterback Joey Marousek (North Royalton) completed 16-of-29 passes for 262 yards with one touchdown. Freshman running back George Linberger (Barberton/St. Vincent-St. Mary) rushed for 20 yards on four carries with one touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Tim Conwell (Avon) caught three passes for 80 yards with a long of 78 yards that set up the Yellow Jackets first score. Senior wide receiver Darius Stokes (Canton/GlenOak) caught three passes for 62 yards with one touchdown, which was on a 42-yard catch as time expired in the first half. Defensively, freshman defensive back TJ Gibbons (Willoughby/Lake Catholic) recorded a game-high and career-best 11 tackles.
Offensively for the Purple Raiders, senior All-American quarterback Braxton Plunk completed 34-of-47 passes for 309 yards with four touchdowns. Junior running back Tyler Echeverry rushed for 114 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown. Senior wide receiver Terrell Sanders caught five passes for 84 yards with one touchdown. Defensively, junior All-American linebacker Rossy Moore tallied nine tackles.
1st Quarter (Tied, 3-3)
- 10:15 Freshman kicker Deglan Camron 34-yard field goal
- 7:54 Freshman kicker Joseph Evans (Chardon) 23-yard field goal
2nd Quarter (MTU, 24-10)
- 13:14 Senior All-American wide receiver Wayne Ruby, Jr. 6-yard pass from Plunk (Camron kick is good)
- 4:31 Senior All-OAC tight end Chase Lawson 22-yard pass from Plunk (Camron kick is good)
- 1:26 Ruby, Jr. 8-yard pass from Plunk (Camron kick is good)
- 0:00 Stokes 42-yard pass from Marousek (Evans kick is good)
3rd Quarter (MTU, 31-17)
- 10:35 Sanders 39-yard pass from Plunk (Camron kick is good)
- 6:32 Linberger 20-yard run (Evans kick is good)
4th Quarter (MTU, 41-17)
- 14:06 Camron 34-yard field goal
- 5:57 Echeverry 29-yard run (Camron kick is good)