Baldwin Wallace University Yellow Jackets (0-0) vs.
Mount Union St. Joseph University Lions (0-0)
Saturday, September 2, 2023
1:30 p.m.
Tressel Field inside The George Finnie Stadium
45th Lee Tressel Shrine Classic
Tickets:
https://bwyellowjackets.cc/3sCewVO
Game Program:
https://bwyellowjackets.cc/45K9YuK
WBWC 88.3 FM Live Audio:
https://bwyellowjackets.cc/3P015pX
Live Statistics:
https://bwyellowjackets.cc/3P0Pw1O
Live Video (Matt Florjancic '07 & Logan Rodgers '27 Handle Play by Play):
https://bwyellowjackets.cc/3L3eXic
Complete BW Games Notes (.pdf) | 2022 Final BW Statistics (.pdf) | Complete Mount St. Joseph Games Notes (.pdf) | 2022 Final Mount St. Joseph Statistics (.pdf)
Today's Contest
Today is the first game of the 2023 season and the lone non-conference game for Baldwin Wallace University football team as it hosts Mount St. Joseph University. BW closed out the 2022 fall campaign with a 23-21 heartbreaking loss to the Ohio Athletic Conference Champion the University of Mount Union. Mount St. Joseph ended their 2022 season with a 41-21 loss to Alma (Mich.) College in the first round of the NCAA III National Playoffs
The Schedule
BW for the first time in many years will be hosting six games on the friendly confines of the Tressel Field inside the George Finnie Stadium. The Yellow Jackets will call home for the first three games and four of the first five as well as two of the last three contests.
The Series
BW and Mount St. Joseph are meeting for the just the second time on the gridiron. The Lions won the first-ever meeting last season by a score of 31-28 on Schueler Field
BW Head Coach Jim Hilvert
Hilvert is in his seventh season at BW and has a record of 36-16 and Ohio Athletic Conference slate of 30-15. He is 103-42 in his 15th overall season. Hilvert is 6-2 against Mount St. Joseph. He is 9-5 in season openers, including a 4-2 record at BW.
Mount St. Joseph Head Coach Tyler Hopperton
Hopperton is in his seventh season as head coach and his 12th overall at Mount St. Joseph . He has a record of 42-15 and Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference mark of 34-9.
Scouting the Yellow Jackets
BW finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 7-3 and finished third in the OAC with a mark of 7-2. The Yellow Jackets averaged 27.6 points-per-game on 172.1 yards rushing and 191.1 yards passing for 3763.2 yards of total offense.
BW Leaders
Offensively, senior quarterback Joey Marousek (North Royalton) returns as the starting signal caller after completing 97-of-193 passes for 1,303 yards with 11 touchdowns. Junior running back Victor Ford, Jr. (Cleveland/Shaker Heights) will handle to work load in the backfield with the graduation of BW's all-time leading rusher in Jon Murray, Jr. Ford, Jr. rushed for 299 yards on 66 carries with two touchdowns in 2022. The receiving unit returns its top five pass catchers from a year ago in seniors Darius Stokes (Canton/GlenOak), Elijah Arnett (Akron/Woodridge) and Vinny Lomeo (East Amherst, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute), junior Mikel Love (Fort Pierce, Fla./Westwood) and sophomore Tim Conwell (Avon). Stokes and Arnett each caught 31 passes with three touchdowns while Lomeo reeled in 17 passes with three touchdowns. Love and Conwell had 16 and 13 catches, respectively. Conwell led the team with four touchdowns and Love had two. Defensively, BW returns three of its top five tacklers from a season ago. Senior linebacker Mason Levasseur (Panama City, Fla./South Walton) led the team with a career-best 71 tackles while senior linebacker Devontae Jackson (Cleveland/John Hay) was second with a career-best 70. Junior strong safety Alden Steele (Lorain/Amherst) was fifth with a career-best 36 stops.
Scouting the Lions
Mount St. Joseph ended the 2022 campaign with an overall record of 10-1 and a mark of 7-0 in the HCAC. The Lions averaged 43.4 points-per-game, 256.5 yards passing and 229.7 yards rushing for 486.2 yards of total offense.
Mount St. Joseph Leaders
Offensively, senior quarterback Josh Taylor returns after completing 174-of-294 passes for 2,459 yards with 25 touchdowns. Taylor also rushed for 696 yards on 136 carries with 16 touchdowns. Senior running back Cornell Beachem, Jr. led the ground attack with 1,236 yards on 265 carries with 10 touchdowns. Beachem, Jr. also caught 37 passes for 498 yards with four touchdowns. Junior Joey Newton leads the receiving corps after catching 41 passes for 6667 yards with nine touchdowns. Defensively, Mount St. Joseph returns its top three tacklers from 2022. Junior linebacker Nate Owens returns as the top stopper after recording 63 tackles. Junior linebacker Anthony Wright was second on the team with 53 stops and junior safety Austin Price was third with 52 tackles
Alumni Makes NFL Team
Former All-American defensive back Anthony Kendall '22 (Port Richey, Fla.) has made the final 53-man roster of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. Kendall, who signed as an undrafted free agent on May 12, becomes the second BW football player in the last 12 years to sign with an NFL team, joining Keith Darbut '11
Lee Tressel Shrine Classic
Today, BW will host the 45th Lee Tressel Shrine Classic. Partial gate proceeds from the game will go to the Shriners' hospitals. A player from each team will be honored at the conclusion of the game.
Hall of Fame Game
BW will induct the 2023 members of its Athletics Alumni Association Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 9 prior to the Ohio Athletic Conference game between BW and Wilmington College at 1:30 p.m.. The newest inductees will be introduced to the Finnie Stadium crowd between the first and second quarters
Battle for Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy
The 35th Battle for Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy is set for September 16 when BW and John Carroll face off in the Yellow Jackets second OAC contest of the season. John Carroll leads the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy series by a margin of 20-13, including winning 10 straight. The last Yellow Jacket victory came in the 2012 season when BW posted a 32-28 victory in University Heights.
Community Day & Homecoming
BW will host its Community Day and Homecoming on the same day in a Bold and Gold Festival on Saturday, September 30 as the Yellow Jackets host Marietta College at 2:00 p.m.
