Wittenberg Looks Strong Again In 49-3 Win Over Allegheny

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg University Tigers continued to play with a purpose and a passion on Saturday, walloping visiting Allegheny College to the tune of 49-3. It was the biggest margin of victory in the 14-game history of this normally intense North Coast Athletic Conference rivalry, and it was Allegheny's worst regular season loss since 1953.

The win improved the 12th-ranked Tigers to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the NCAC. With the loss, Allegheny drops to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the NCAC. Wittenberg remains one game behind league-leading Wabash in the NCAC standings, but the Little Giants clinched the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs today with a 42-22 victory over Wooster. The Tigers remain very much alive for one of just three Pool C bids into the NCAA Division III tournament, which kicks off with first round games around the nation on Saturday, Nov. 23.

In this game, the Tigers were dominant almost from the start. With 5:37 remaining in the first quarter, junior wide receiver Skip Ivery (Columbus, Ohio/Groveport-Madison) capped a six-play, 82-yard drive with a 40-yard touchdown reception from senior quarterback Greg Cornett (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin). After sophomore defensive tackle Jarrett Brown (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles) intercepted the first pass of his collegiate career, senior tailback Jason Stephan (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville), making his first start of the season, scored on a two-yard run with 2:14 left in the opening stanza.

The second quarter offered more of the same as Stephan dove across the finish line for a one-yard touchdown and Ivery hauled in a 32-yard scoring strike to open up a 28-0 lead. After the Tigers made perhaps their one major miscue of the day by muffing a punt, Allegheny closed the half with an Aaron Smith 30-yard field goal.

In the second half, it was the Jason Stephan show. Filling in for All-American tailback Daniel Grove (Uhrichsville, Ohio/Claymont), who is sidelined with a broken foot, Stephan rushed for 123 yards in the second half and crossed the goal line three more times. He finished the day with career highs of 23 rushes, 181 yards and five touchdowns.

Rounding out the offensive numbers, Cornett had another outstanding game, finishing 14-of-20 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Ivery had three catches for 88 yards and senior wide receiver Adrian Crane (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) chipped in with six receptions for a game-high 91 yards. Defensively, the Tigers stifled the Gators, holding them to just 141 total yards on 53 plays. Through the air, Allegheny managed just 41 yards and the Gators' leading rusher was Dino DiNardo with 62 yards on 14 carries.