BEREA, Ohio – Senior quarterback Tyler Moeglin (Louisville) and senior running back Issac Reed III (Lehigh Acres, Fla./ Lehigh) each accounted for three touchdowns as the Baldwin Wallace University (5-2, 5-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference) football team won its fourth straight game and defeated OAC rival Otterbein University (4-3, 4-2 OAC) by a 55-21 count on Ballenger Field at Memorial Stadium. With its win, BW leads 36-10-1 in the all-time series that dates back to 1925 and ended a three-game losing streak to the Cardinals.
BW led 14-0 after one quarter, 28-7 at halftime and 48-14 after three periods. The Yellow Jackets had a 568-377 advantage in total yards, including a 347-241 advantage through the air.
For BW, Moeglin completed 20 of 23 passes for 276 yards and two TD's and ran for 50 yards in six attempts, including a 9-yard TD jaunt in the first quarter. Reed led the Yellow Jackets on the ground with 84 yards in seven carries with TD runs of 1, 3 and 64 yards. The receiving corps were led by junior wide receiver Trevor George (Aliquippa, Pa./ Carlyton) with six catches for 43 yards and a TD and junior Tommy Fuller (Lakewood) caught a career-high five passes for 57 yards.. The Yellow Jacket defense was led by sophomore outside linebacker Sean Nischwitz (Clinton/ Green) with a career-high 12 tackles, including a quarterback sacks and a tackle for loss. Freshman end Jaylin Brown (Loganville, Ga./ South Gwinett) had five tackles and his first two career QB sacks.
For Otterbein, senior QB Kevan Green completed 23 of 37 passes for 237 yards and two TD's. The running game was led by senior John Pyles with a game-high 105 yards in 11 attempts, including an 18-yard TD run.The receiving corps were led by senior Julian Lowe with a game-high 10 catches for 95. The Cardinal were led on defense by sophomore defensive back Steen Carpenter with 8.5 tackles.
In the first quarter, BW gained a 7-0 lead at 12:04 when Reed ran one yard to the endzone to complete a 6-play and 65-yard drive. Junior Academic All-OAC placekicker Joe Simonis (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) added the PAT kick. The lead grew to 14-0 when Moeglin scampered nine yards to paydirt at 3:55 to complete a long, 10-play and 94-yard drive. Simonis added his second PAT.
In the second quarter, Otterbein closed its deficit to 14-7 at 10:46 when Pyles ran 18 yards for a TD and freshman kicker Abass Ceesay booted the PAT. BW extended its lead back to 14 points at 8:23 when Reed scored his second TD on a 3-yard run and Simonis added the PAT to end a 5-play and 63-yard drive. BW gained a 28-7 lead 20 seconds before halftime when Moeglin threw a 20-yard scoring pass to George to end a 12-play and 71-yard drive. Simonis added his fourth PAT.
In the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets increased their lead to 35-7 at 10:59 when Moeglin threw his second TD pass, this one a 26-yarder to freshman Jordan Leverette (Cleveland/ John Adams) to end a 6-play and 64-yard drive. Simonis made his fifth PAT boot. Otterbein made it 35-14 at 7:02 when Green threw a 3-yard TD pass to Lowe and Ceesay made his second PAT boot.
BW made it 42-14 at 4:40 when Reed scored his final TD on a 64-yard run to complete a 5-play and 91-yard drive and Simonis made his sixth PAT kick. The lead grew to 48-14 with 15 seconds left in the quarter when senior backup QB Robbie Plagens (Rocky River) fumbled into the endzone and senior guard Nolan Brandt (Olmsted Falls) had a career moment when he recovered the fumble for a TD. The PAT boot was wide left.
In the fourth quarter, Otterbein closed the gap to 48-21 at 13:33 when sophomore WR Logan Stepp caught a 20-yard TD pass from Green and Ceesay kicked the PAT. BW responded when sophomore RB Adam Blake (Alliance/ Marlington) returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a TD and Simonis added the PAT for a 55-21 lead.
The Yellow Jackets return to action next Saturday, October 31 when BW hosts OAC rival Capital University on both Professor Appreciation Day (prior to the game) and CoSIDA Academic All-America Day (at halftime) on Tressel Field inside The George Finnie Stadium at 1:30 p.m.
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Tyler Moeglin Nearing 3,000 Career Passing Yards, Over 4,000 Total Yards -- For his career, senior quarterback Tyler Moeglin (Canton/ Louisville/ St. Thomas Aquinas) has appeared in 27 games and completed 249 of 408 passes for 2,994 yards with 23 TD's and eight interceptions. He also has rushed for 1,168 yards and 18 TD's and caught 10 passes for 171 yards and a TD. Combined, Moeglin has accounted for 4,333 yards and 42 TD's.
Issac Reed III is Nearing 2,000 Career Rushing Yards -- For his career, senior running back Issac Reed III (Lehigh Acres, Fla./ Lehigh) has played in all 37 games, carried the ball 351 times fir 1,973 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has averaged a solid, 5.6 yards per carry. Reed also has 22 receptions for 141 yards and a TD and averages 24.4 yards on 10 kickoff returns.
BW Among the Nation's Winningest College Football Programs -- The BW football program is one of the winningest programs in college football history. The Yellow Jackets have an all-time record of 577-335-30 with an impressive .649 winning percentage in their 111-year history on the gridiron. Remarkably, BW has had 46 winning and just two losing seasons in the past 50 years, including a 38-year winning streak from 1967 through 2004. One more victory will gaurantee and 47th winning season in the last 51 years!
OAC Titles and NCAA Playoff History -- The BW football program has won 12 OAC titles (1935, 1937, 1968, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1991, 1994) and appeared in the Division III Playoffs six times (1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1991 and 2003). BW earned its national championship with a 24-10 victory versus Wittenberg University in 1978.
Trio of Great Coaches Have Reached the Century Club -- Three former BW legends, Ray E. Watts '23, Lee Tressel '48 and Bob Packard '65 are the only three football coaches in college football history who have won 100 or more games at the same school. Watts won 104 games, compiled a 104-58-14 with a .631 winning percentage and coached from 1928 through 1948. Tressel won 155 games in his College Football Hall of Fame career, compiled a 155-52-6 record and had a .742 winning percentage. Bob Packard won a school-record 156 games, compiled a 156-54-2 mark and had a .741 winning percentage. Comparably after 13-plus seasons, John Snell '87 is 87-52 with a .626 winning percentage.
