TIFFIN, Ohio – Junior running back Austin Smith (Broadview Heights/ North Royalton) ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns, but the Baldwin Wallace University football team lost at Ohio Athletic Conference rival Heidelberg University, 37-27, inside Hoernemann Stadium on Riesen Field before 1,650 fans on Seniors' Day.
Heidelberg led 7-0 after one quarter, 24-7 at halftime and 24-13 after three quarters. BW (2-7, 1-7 OAC) outgained Heidelberg (5-4, 5-3 OAC) 411-397.
Offensively, BW sophomore quarterback Jake Hudson (East Lake, Fla./ East Lake High School) completed 17 of 28 passes for 230 yards with one TD and one interception. He also ran for 71 yards in 26 attempts with one TD. Smith, who had his seven career 100-yard rushing game and second consecutive, gained 112 yards in 19 attempts. He now has 14 rushing TD's this season. The leading receivers were senior wideout Mike Waggoner (Stow) and senior WR Tommy Fuller (Lakewood) as each player caught four passes. The defense was led by sophomore middle linebacker Zach Poudrier (Penfield, N.Y./ Rochester McQuaid Jesuit) with a career-high 10 tackles.
For Heidelberg, junior QB Tyler Stoyle completed 26 of 42 passes for 257 yards with two TD's. The running game was led by senior Bryan Lacey with 78 yards in 19 attempts with one TD. The top receiver was junior Demetrius Magee who caught a game-high seven passes for 70 yards. The defense was led by junior tackle Austin Crow with eight tackles, including four for loss and two QB sacks.
In the first period, the Student Princes got off to an early 7-0 lead when Stoyle connected with freshman fullback Branden Short for a 21-yard touchdown pass at the 9:25 mark.
In the second quarter, BW evened the score when Smith broke off a 42-yard touchdown run at the 14:10 mark. Hiedelberg then scored 17 unanswered points to close out the half, including a 25-yard interception return. Senior kicker AJ Morrison made a 32-yard field goal at the 9:05 minute mark, junior defensive back Chris Jones returned the interception for a TD to make the score 17-7 with 8:14 left in the half, and Stoyle hooked up with junior WR Tony Morris for a 2-yard TD pass to give Heidelberg a 24-7 at 1:16 before halftime.
The Yellow Jackets scored the only points in the third quarter when Hudson scored on a 13-yard run to cut the Student Princes lead to 24-13.
In the fourth, Morrison made field goals of 20 and 25 yard, respectively, to extend the Heidelberg lead to 30-13. Smith scored his second TD from seven yards out and Hudson ran in the two-point conversion to make it 30-21 with 2:07 remaining in regulation. Lacey answered Smith's TD run with a 36-yard score of his own to give the Student Princes a 16-point lead at 37-21 with 1:44 remaining. BW capped off a seven-play 75-yard drive when Hudson connected with sophomore WR Ty Gallo (Brooklyn Heights/ Cuyahoga Heights) on the final play iof the game to close out the scoring.
The Yellow Jackets play their final home and regular season game of the season on Saturday, November 12 versus Ohio Northern University on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium at 2 p.m. It is Seniors' & Parents' Day.
