BLUFFTON-- Junior quarterback Michael Slack (Casselberry, Fla./Pine Castle Christian Academy) completed 12-of-15 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns and ran 16 times for a game-high 102 yards and a TD as the Baldwin Wallace University football team defeated host Bluffton University, 52-21, in its season-opener at Dwight Salzman Stadium.
Bluffton led 14-10 after one quarter, BW led 24-14 at halftime and 38-14 after three stanzas. BW outgained the Beavers, 527-385, including 314 yards on the ground.
With its win, BW is 1-0 overall and hosts Ohio Athletic Conference and Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University, also 1-0 overall, in the 25th Annual Battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy and the 37th Annual Lee Tressel Shrine Classic on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium at 6:00 p.m.. in Berea It is the OAC opener for each team. BW leads the all-time series, 25-23-4, and the Gold Bowl series, 13-11, following a thrilling, 32-28 victory a ayear ago in University Heights. Two years ago in Berea, BW also won a thriller, 43-35. Bluffton is now 0-2 overall.
Offensively for the Yellow Jackets, Slack's top receiver was junior Javon Burks (Naples, Fla./Golden Gate) who caught three passes for 100 yards and TD. In addition to Slack in the running game, junior running back Nolan Sordyl (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) had 55 yards in 14 attempts with TD runs of one and 12 yards. The BW defense was led by senior linebacker David Flegal (Akron/Revere) with a game-high 12 tackles.
Bluffton was led on offense by junior QB Nick Sheehan who completed 24-of-43 passes for 277 yards and three TDs . His top receiver was senior Shawn Frost was caught seven passes for a game-high 110 yards and a TD. In addition, junior WR Donovan Brown caught seven passes for 79 yards and two TDs. The running game was led by junior Eric Fox who had 47 yards in 12 attempts. The Beaver defense was led by senior linebacker Josh Runda with eight tackles.
The Yellow Jacket defense opened the scoring and took a 7-0 lead at the 11:06 mark of the first quarter when junior safety Joe Kasper (Mentor) picked up a fumble and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown. The play was set up when Bluffton tried a pass in the flat and behind the line of scrimmage and receiver. The play was ruled a fumble. Senior placekicker Chris Mohler (Kent/Roosevelt) booted the PAT.
Bluffton came right back after a 43-yard kickoff return to drive 56 yards in seven plays to tie the score at 7-7 when Sheehan threw a 15-yard TD pass to Frost with 7:26 left in the first stanza. Senior kicker Austin Sweeney added the PAT kick.
BW fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Bluffton scored a play later when Sheehan connected with Brown for a 34-yard TD pass at the 7:14 mark. Sweeney's PAT kick gave the Beavers a 14-7 advantage.
BW came right back and drove 47 yards in 11 plays and cut the deficit to 14-10 when Mohler booted a 24-yard field goal at 2:46.
Following a Bluffton punt to open the second quarter, BW drove 74 yards in 11 plays and Sordyl powered into the endzone from one yard out to give BW the lead at the 11:04 mark. Mohler's second PAT kick made it 17-14.
Bluffton attempted a fake punt, but the punter dropped the snap and BW recovered at the Beaver 36 yard line. BW took a page out of the Bluffton playbook from earlier in the game when Slack threw 36 yards to senior Academic All-OAC WR Gabe Adams (Hudson) at 9:29 for a TD. Mohler's third PAT kick made it 24-14.
Bluffton had a chance to cut the lead to 24-17 with 2:33 left before the intermission, but Sweeney's 21-yard attempt was wide left.
BW gained a 31-14 lead at 10:13 of the third quarter when Slack ran 12 yards for a TD and Mohler added his fourth PAT. Slack's run capped a 10-play and 69 yard drive. He also gained 55 yards on the drive.
The lead grew to 38-14 at 8:12 when Slack threw 39 yards to Burks for his first career TD grab and Mohler tacked on his fifth PAT of the game. The drive was two plays and 44 yards and followed a Bluffton 3-and-out possession.
Bluffton clawed back as the Beavers travelled 86 yards in 14 plays and made the score 38-21 when Sheehan tossed a two-yard scoring pass to Brown and Sweeney added the PAT with 11:10 left to play.
BW came right back and drove 53 yards in four plays to score and increase its lead to 45-21 with 9:08 left when Sordyl rambled 16 yards for the TD and Mohler was perfect for the sixth straight time on his PAT kick. The big plays was a 33-yard seem pass from Slack to Burks. Sordyl scored on the next play.
Sophomore QB/RB Tyler Moeglin (Canton/St. Thomas Aquinas) gave BW a 52-21 lead at 6:48 when he ran 62 yards to paydirt and Mohler made his seventh PAT boot.
Following its game versus JCU next Saturday, BW hosts OAC-rival Muskingum University on Sept. 28 at 2:00 p.m. for Family and Community Day. The pregame picnic in the North Quad begins at 12:00 noon. For more information, please Click Here.
FOR MORE SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics
