Offensive Records Fall As Tigers Shut Down Oberlin

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers put together one of the most complete performances in recent memory, shutting down Oberlin 59-0 thanks to a record-setting 716 yards of total offense and a punishing defense that hasn't allowed a point against an NCAA Division III opponent so far in 2013.

The Tigers piled up 42 points before halftime and allowed Oberlin just one long drive that ended in a blocked field goal. By game's end, the numbers were even more lopsided as Wittenberg piled up 32 first downs, 362 yards rushing and 354 yards passing while holding the Yeomen to just 115 total offensive yards.

It was Wittenberg's second straight shutout after a 45-0 win over DePauw a week earlier. The Tigers improved to 2-1 on the season, including a 2-0 start to the 2013 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) campaign.

Oberlin dropped to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in the league. The Yeomen have not beaten Wittenberg since 1951 and dropped to 0-14 against the Tigers in NCAC games.

Wittenberg set the tone on its first drive of the game after Oberlin went three-and-out on its first possession. Senior quarterback Reed Florence (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) hooked up with senior wide receiver Brendon Cunningham (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) on a 29-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-two play.

The Yeomen responded with their only sustained drive of the game, but the Tigers held firm in the red zone. Sophomore defensive tackle Josh Bannick (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) kept Oberlin off the board by blocking the ensuing field goal attempt.

A bit of trickery then opened the floodgates for the Tigers. Junior wide receiver Zac Wilson (Eaton, Ohio/Eaton) took a lateral from Florence and timed the return pass perfectly, setting up a 40-yard touchdown connection with 14 seconds left in the first quarter.

From there, it was all Wittenberg. Sophomore running back Sean Gary (Indianapolis, Ind./Decatur Central) scored on a one-yard run, senior wide receiver Desi Kirkman (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic) caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Florence, senior wideout Jonathan Stoner (Bowling Green, Ohio/Bowling Green) hauled in a 24-yard scoring strike from Florence and sophomore running back Jimmy Dehnke (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) electrified the crowd, breaking multiple tackles en route to a 44-yard touchdown run.

That was just the first half. Over the final 30 minutes, sophomore Evan Grissom (Piqua, Ohio/Piqua) kicked a 26-yard field goal, sophomore wide receiver Armon Murray (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) caught his first career touchdown pass covering 15 yards from sophomore quarterback Zack Jenkins (Frostproof, Fla./Frostproof) and junior running back Will Stocker (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) rounded things out with a four-yard scoring burst.

Wittenberg racked up 716 yards of total offense, breaking the program record of 683 against Ohio Northern in 1987. Florence ended up with 271 yards through the air on 16-of-18 passing, with 10 different receivers catching passes. Cunningham piled up four catches for 143 yards in the game.

On the ground, four different tailbacks all proved extremely effective in the game, led by senior JaVanh Sanders (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial) with eight carries for 95 yards. Ironically, he was the only one of the four tailbacks that didn't score a touchdown.

The defense was just as significant a story, as the Tigers recorded back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 2009. Junior linebacker Nick Gibson (Marysville, Ohio/Fairbanks) led with nine tackles, followed by Bannick with six tackles and senior linebacker Spencer Leno (Massillon, Ohio/Washington) with five.