Greencastle, Ind. - DePauw grabbed a 10-0 first-quarter lead and held it on the way to a 17-6 North Coast Athletic Conference win over visiting Denison. The Tigers, ranked 23rd in the latest Division III coaches' poll, improved to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the NCAC, while the Big Red slipped to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the NCAC.
DePauw's opening drive stalled on downs at the Denison 12, but
Joseph Sullivan booted a 24-yard field goal on the next series to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead with 4:01 left in the opening stanza. The teams exchanged punts, but DePauw's brushed a Denison player and
Mac Wissel recovered at the DePauw 3. Two plays later,
Gus Baumgartner rambled in from the 1 to make it 10-0 with just 29 seconds left in the first.
Late in the second, the Big Red drove to the DePauw 26, but the Tigers' Matt Coons intercepted Denison quarterback Jimmy Stines at the DePauw 17 to end the threat.
The Tigers' final score of the game was set up by another big play as
Jake Comer forced Stines to fumble and
Ethan Lowry recovered it and returned it to the Denison 31.Five plays later,
Caden Whitehead scored on a 3-yard run with 5:29 remaining to make it 17-0.
Denison's lone points of the contest came on a 5-yard pass from Stines to Josh Aiello with just 1:08 left which capped an 8-play, 72-yard series.
Comer recovered the ensuing onside kick and the Tigers ran out the clock for the win.
The Tigers outgained Denison on the ground, 158-67 as Baumgartner finished with 59 and Whitehead 52. Trey Fabrocini totaled 86 rushing yards on 22 tries for Denison.
DePauw's
Nathan McCahill completed 8-of-20 passes for 68 yards, while Stines was 19-of-42 for 201 yards.
Jaylon Smith and
Gabe Quigley each caught three passes for the Tigers with Aiello hauling in eight for 128 yards for Denison. Denison outgained the Tigers in total offense, 268-226.
Jonathan Bruder and
Luke Marsh each had nine tackles for DePauw with Comer,
Brevon Gude and
Luke Nolan each finishing with one sack, while
David Guhl and
Dominic Seibal shared one. Gude had five hurries for the Tigers. Jack Nimesheim topped Denison with 14 tackles with Jeff Moore and Kayton Reesor each adding 10. Michael Ballenger had 2.5 sacks with Reesor adding one.
DePauw returns to NCAC action on Saturday, Oct. 14, for a 2 p.m. game at Wooster.
