WILMINGTON, Ohio – Sophomore quarterback Jake Hudson (East Lake, Fla./ East Lake) completed 11 of 17 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown and ran for a game-high 150 yards as the Baldwin Wallace University football team overcame a 14-0 deficit to win at Wilmington College, 28-17, in an Ohio Athletic Conference gammon Townsend Field at Williams Stadium.
The Quakers led 7-0 after one quarter, 14-6 at halftime and 14-13 after three periods. BW (2-3, 1-3 OAC) out-gained Wilmington (0-5, 0-4 OAC) 386-347, including 255-157 on the ground, to increase its series advantage to 15-3 overall. The loss was the 34th straight in the OAC for Wilmington
Hudson has now rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his two career starts. In addition to Hudson for the BW offense, sophomore running back Hayden Stinnett (Noblesville, Ind./ Noblesville), seeing the first significant playing time of his career, came off the bench to rush for 94 yards in 16 attempts with three TD's — the first three of his career. Senior Mike Waggoner (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls) caught a team-high three passes for 41 yards. On defense, senior middle linebacker Brian Stepp (North Royalton) had a game-high 11 tackles and has 39 in BW's last three games.
For Wilmington, Junior QB Luke Creditt completed 23 of 30 passes for 190 yards with a TD. The running game was led by senior RB Chase Manica with 102 yards in 18 attempts and a TD. He had just eight rushing yards in the second half. The receiving corps were led by junior P.J. Meyer with a game-high six catches for 71 with a TD. On defense, senior MLB C.J. Thompson had a team-high 10 tackles.
In the first quarter, Manica scored on a 5-yard run at 5:11 to complete a 10-play and 82-yard drive. Senior kicker Grant Brown made the PAT kick.
In the second quarter, Wilmington gained a 14-0 lead when Creditt threw a 34-yard TD pass to Meyer at 8:01 and Brown made the PAT. The scoring strike ended an 8-play and 89-yard drive. BW closed its deficit to 14-6 when Stinnett scored on a one-yard run at 3:21, but the PAT kick was blocked. Stinnett's first career TD completed a 10-play and 63-yard drive
In the third quarter, Stinnett drew BW to 14-13 when he sped 14 yards to the end zone at 7:23 and senior Academic All-OAC kicker Joe Simonis (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) made the PAT boot. The Jackets dominated the third quarter and had a chance to take the lead, but a 30-yard field goal attempt was wide left.
In the fourth quarter, BW took the lead at 19-14 when Stinnett ran for his third TD of the contest, a five-yarder, at 11:33. A 2-point conversion pass from junior outside linebacker Sam Groff (Waynesburg/ Sandy Valley) to freshman tight end Charles Ellis (Cape Coral, Fla./ Canterbury School) made it 21-14. The Quakers drew to within 21-17 when Brown booted a 34-yard field goal at 6:51. The Yellow Jackets came right back to score a minute and a half later and make it 28-17 when Hudson threw a 41-yard scoring strike to senior WR Bryon Cook (Tallmadge) and Simonis added the PAT kick.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Saturday, October 15 when they host Muskingum University on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium at 1:30 p.m. BW also hosts Otterbein University on Saturday, Oct. 22 on Homecoming at 2 p.m.
