Records Fall Along With Tigers' Title Chances In Overtime Loss At Wooster

WOOSTER, Ohio - In one of the most exciting football games in school history, the Wittenberg Tigers came up on the short end of a 64-58 overtime decision at the College of Wooster on Saturday. In falling to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, the Tigers will play a home finale with nothing but pride on the line for the second straight year when they host Allegheny at 1 p.m., Nov. 13.

Wooster, ranked fifth in the nation and enjoying perhaps the finest season in school history, improved to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in the NCAC and clinched a share of just the second NCAC title in school history. The Scots can close out the first perfect regular season in decades and win the first outright conference crown in school history with a win next Saturday against Ohio Wesleyan, a 28-24 winner over the Tigers in Delaware.

In losing back-to-back games for the first time since 1992 and the first time ever under ninth-year Head Coach Joe Fincham, the young Tigers showed the kind of heart and spirit that will be necessary if Wittenberg is to return to its championship form in 2005. Coming off a stunning loss at Ohio Wesleyan last weekend and dealing with several key injuries, Wittenberg rallied from a 48-17 third-quarter deficit against the Scots and their all-everything senior tailback Tony Sutton. Feeding off a defense that finally came up with a couple of key stands as the game wound to a close, the Tiger offense scored 41 second-half points to force overtime.

The game appeared promising at the outset for the Tigers as junior tailback Tristan Murray scored the game's first points less than two minutes into the opening period on a three-yard run that capped a six-play, 81-yard game-opening drive. The two teams then traded points throughout the first quarter until the Tigers held a tenuous 17-13 lead when the horn sounded. Sutton scored on a 14-yard pass and wide receiver Richie McNally scored on a 35-yard pass, both from quarterback Justin Schafer, to account for Wooster's points, while Wittenberg countered with a field goal by freshman Mark Porter and a 16-yard touchdown connection between junior wide receiver Braden Freeman and senior quarterback Ryan Holmes.

The Scots then seemed to take control. Spearheaded by a defense that came up with six consecutive stops in the second and third quarters, the Scots built a seemingly insurmountable lead as Schafer scored on runs of seven and six yards, McNally hauled in a 71-yard touchdown pass and Sutton scored twice to open the third stanza to make the score 48-17. But Wittenberg wasn't done as Murray scored two touchdowns in a three-minute span to make it 48-31. Sutton scored on an eight-yard burst and Freeman caught a 36-yard touchdown pass to close out an eventful third quarter.

Wooster opened the fourth quarter with a 24-yard field goal by McNally, setting the stage for Wittenberg's furious rally. Junior tailback Will Block got things started with a school record 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at the 12:26 mark. After McNally missed a 36-yard field goal, Wittenberg drove downfield and scored on a 27-yard touchdown hook-up from Holmes to sophomore wide receiver Eric Kubilus. A Wooster punt was then followed by a 74-yard drive that took 2:23 off the clock and culminated in a three-yard touchdown run by Holmes on fourth-and-goal. The extra point by Porter tied the game.

But in overtime, the magic suddenly ended for the Tigers, who appeared to have all the momentum after scoring the game's final 21 points in regulation. Holmes was picked off by Wooster's Keith Adams on the Tigers' first play from scrimmage, and Sutton made the Tigers pay with a 13-yard TD on the third play of the ensuing drive, ending the game.

The 122 points set an NCAC record for most combined points in a game and Sutton continued to re-write the rushing and scoring records books as his four scores and 226 rushing yards on the day pushed his career totals to 70 rushing touchdowns and 5,749 all-purpose yards. Wittenberg finished with a whopping 552 yards of total offense and Wooster added a mere 638 yards of total offense, the highest total by a Tiger opponent in recent memory (no official record is available). And the 64 points were the most by a Wittenberg opponent since 1949 when Ohio Wesleyan scored 65.

Individually, Holmes had the greatest day statistically ever for a Wittenberg quarterback as he threw for a school-record 439 yards, breaking a 41-year-old record previously held by National College Football Hall of Famer Charlie Green (411). He finished with 25 completions, just two short of the school record, in 44 attempts. Murray added 107 yards rushing on 23 attempts. Freeman had a career day, catching 10 passes for 177 yards. Murray added five receptions for 105 yards and senior wideout Joe Rumschlag chipped in with 104 yards on four catches. Sophomore safety Mitch Fonseca was the top player for the Tigers defensively as he finished with 12 tackles, including a stop of Sutton for a loss on third down late in the game that helped set the stage for the final drive.

Wooster picked up 226 yards on 39 carries from Sutton, and Schafer hurt the Tigers with both his feet and his arm, finishing with 12 carries for 93 yards and 12 completions for a whopping 315 yards. McNally was the Scots' top receiver with five catches for 167 yards.