BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College football team lost to Ohio Athletic Conference rival and 13th-ranked Ohio Northern University, 41-21, today (Saturday, October 16, 2010) at Dial-Roberson Stadium in Ada. The loss snapped a five-game Yellow Jacket win streak.
The Polar Bears led 14-7 after one quarter, 35-14 at halftime and 35-21 after three stanzas. With its win, Ohio Northern is now 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the OAC. The Yellow Jackets are now 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the OAC and host Wilmington College next Saturday (Oct. 23) at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea at 1:30 p.m. on Professor Appreciation Day.
The Polar Bears opened the scoring at the 3:19 mark of the first quarter when running back Brent Donley capped off a 16-play, 80-yard drive that consumed six minutes and 43 seconds with a three-yard touchdown run. Blair Ellenberger added the point after for a 7-0 ONU lead.
However, BW answered with a 56-yard touchdown pass just 49 seconds later as sophomore quarterback Ryan O'Rourke (Avon) connected with freshman Kevin Johnson (Garfield Heights/St. Ignatius), this week's OAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Senior placekicker Brad Pollock (Broadview Heights/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) added the PAT to tie the game at 7-7.
ONU came right back as quarterback Kyle Simmons found wide receiver Ryan Fleming on a 54-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left in the first quarter. Ellenberger's kick made the score 14-7 in favor of ONU.
The Yellow Jackets tied the score at 14-14 with 10:31 left in the second quarter when O'Rourke ran seven yards to paydirt to cap a 13-play, 60-yard drive that spanned 4:57. Pollock added his second PAT of the day.
ONU would then score 21 straight points to close out the half beginning with a one-yard run by Donley with 4:35 left in the half. Donley added his third score of the day on a 10-yard run 1:50 before half after a Polar Bear interception. The Polar Bears capped off the first half scoring when Simmons found Fleming for a second long passing TD, this one for 49 yards, with just 20 seconds before intermission.
In the third quarter, B-W marched 93 yards in 12 plays, taking 6:07 from the clock as senior running back John McGraw (North Ridgeville) scored on a one-yard run. Pollock converted the point after, making the score 35-21 ONU.
In the fourth quarter, ONU went 55 yards in 14 plays consuming 7:17, capped off by a 27-yard field goal from Ellenberger to make the score 38-21 ONU. The Polar Bears would then go 82 yards in 10 plays, capped off by another 27-yard field goal by Ellenberger, making the final score 41-21.
B-W was led offensively by O'Rourke, who completed 12-of-23 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown. Senior running back Kyrell Crook (Columbus/St. Francis DeSales) led the B-W ground game with 63 yards on 11 carries, while McGraw rushed for 44 yards and one TD. Freshman WR Josiah Holt (Elyria/Midview) caught four passes for 33 yards.
On defense, senior All-OAC middle linebacker Ryan Kish (Amherst/Steele) led the Yellow Jackets with nine tackles and two tackles for loss. Junior linebackers J.J. Laseak (Mentor) and Brett Thompson (Shelby) each had eight tackles.
ONU was led on offense by Kyle Simmons who completed 14-of-23 passes for 269 passing yards and two touchdowns. Donley rushed for a game-high 145 yards on 28 carries and had three touchdowns. Fleming caught four passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The ONU defense was led by Jesse Richards with 17 tackles and one interception.
Today's B-W vs. ONU game was taped and will be televised tonight by SportsTime Ohio at 10:00 p.m., again on Sunday at 12 noon and on Monday (Oct. 18) at 5:00 a.m. To view all previous televised and archived BW football, soccer, basketball and wrestling broadcasts, please visit the B-W web site atwww.bw.edu/athletics/video/.
FOR MORE BW Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information atwww.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
