HAMPDEN SYDNEY, Va. -- The Baldwin Wallace University football team scored six rushing touchdowns as it opened the 2021 fall season with a 45-24 victory over Hampden-Sydney College on Fulton Field inside Lewis C. Everett Stadium.
BW (1-0) led 10-7 in the first quarter, 24-10 after two quarters, 38-17 after three quarters and 45-24 after four quarters to win the inaugural meeting.
Offensively for the Yellow Jackets, junior Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference quarterback Keagan Armitage (Ashland) completed 17-of-22 passes, including completing his first five passes, for 208 yards and one rushing touchdown. Junior All-OAC running back Jon Murray, Jr. (Cincinnati/Withrow) led the rushing attack with 99 yards on 21carries with a career-best four touchdowns. Senior wideout Darrius Stokes (North Canton/GlenOak) led the aerial assault with five catches for a game-high 116 yards. Defensively, senior Academic All-OAC linebacker Nick Pankow (Medina) recorded a game-high and career-best 15 tackles. Junior linebacker Mason Levasseur (Panama City, Fla./South Walton) tallied eight tackles.
Hampden-Sydney was led offensively by senior quarterback Tanner Bernard as he completed 12-of-18 passes for 127 yards with one touchdown. Sophomore running back Josh Jones led the ground attack with 78 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown. Senior wide receiver Dillion Costello led the air attack with two catches for 76 yards with one touchdown. Defensively, sophomore defensive back Will Pickren tallied 12 tackles.
After the BW defense held Hampden-Sydney to a three and out on the initial drive of the game, the Yellow Jackets took the ball 66 yards down the field and scored the touchdown on a three-yard run by Murray, Jr. Junior place kicker Dean Sarris (Canton/GlenOak) tacked on the extra point for the 7-0 lead at the 8:43 mark. The Tigers tied the game at 7-7 when Bernard connected with Costello on a 68-yard pass at the 8:04. Jack Junior placekicker Justin Breedlove added the point after. Sarris converted a 35-yard field goal to give BW the 10-7 lead at the 5:09 mark.
The Yellow Jackets opened the second quarter scoring and extended its lead to 17-7 when Murray, Jr. scored his second touchdown of the game on a four-yard rush. Sarris hit the extra point at the 13:32 mark of the quarter. Hampden-Sydney cut the lead down to 17-10 on the 35-yard field goal from Breedlove at 11:32. BW answered back when Murray, Jr. scored his third touchdown of the game on a two-yard scamper to push the lead to 24-10 at the 4:28 mark. Sarris tacked on his third extra point.
The Yellow Jackets opened the second half scoring when Murray, Jr. found paydirt for the fourth time as he scored on an 11-yard rush. Sarris hit the point after for the 31-10 advantage at the 12:28 mark. The Tigers cut the lead down just 26 second later when Jones scored on a 26-yard run. Breedlove tacked on the point after to make the scored 31-17 at 12:02. BW closed out the third quarter scoring when Armitage scored on a one-yard keeper to push the lead to 38-17 at the 2:02 mark. Sarris added the point after.
The Yellow Jackets closed out their scoring and opened the fourth quarter when junior running back Gino Fornaro (Chesterland/West Geauga) found the endzone on a three yard carry. Sarris tacked on the point after at the 11:03 mark. Hampden-Sydney closed out the game's scoring when sophomore wide out Brice Wilson caught a three-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Andrew Puccinelli with 38 seconds remaining.
BW is back in action on Saturday, September 11 when it travels to Westerville for the OAC opener against Otterbein University inside Memorial Stadium at 1:30 p.m. The Yellow Jackets open the home portion of their schedule on Saturday, September 25 when they host an OAC and 43rd Lee Tressel Shrine Classic game against Heidelberg University at 1:30 p.m.
