Ohio Wesleyan 29, Earlham 14

Oct. 11, 2003

Freshman halfback Nick Rice (Dublin/Scioto) scored 3 touchdowns and ran for 202 yards to lead Ohio Wesleyan past Earlham in North Coast Athletic Conference action on Saturday at Selby Field.

The Bishops caught a break on Earlham's first possession of the game when Quaker punter John Gresham dropped the snap and was tackled for a 13-yard loss, giving Ohio Wesleyan the ball on the Earlham 22-yard line. From there, it took the Bishops 5 plays to find the end zone, with Rice going over from 2 yards out. The key play in the march was a 14-yard gain by sophomore quarterback Ryan Sir Louis (Hinckley/Highland) on a third-and-9 play from the Quaker 21-yard line.

Earlham threatened on its next possession, with Justin Rummell scrambling for 13 yards on first down and Maurice Hibbler following with a 27-yard burst to give the Quakers a first down at the Ohio Wesleyan 33, but the Bishop defense stiffened, and senior linebacker Billy Chrisovergis (Dayton/Bellbrook) stopped Earlham's Curtis Asay short of the first-down marker on a fourth-and-5 situation, giving the Bishops the ball back.

Ohio Wesleyan marched down the field again, with senior fullback Chad Smith (Prospect/Marion Elgin) reeling off a 33-yard gain and then picking up 2 more first downs before Rice capped the drive with a 5-yard run to give the Bishops a 13-0 lead with 5:01 left in the first quarter.

Earlham came back in the second quarter, taking over deep in Ohio Wesleyan territory when a bad snap on a Bishop punt gave the Quakers the ball at the Ohio Wesleyan 16-yard line. Two plays later, Jeremiah King snaked along the back of the end zone and hauled in a pass from Justin Rummell to bring Earlham within 13-7.

The Bishops answered with another march down the field, running the ball on 10 straight plays to cover 62 yards. Rice carried 6 times on the drive, gaining 30 yards, including the 5-yard scoring burst that put Ohio Wesleyan ahead, 19-7. The Bishops tried for 2 points after the score but the attempt was short of the goal line.

Ohio Wesleyan tacked on 3 more points at the first half gun. After an Earlham punt, the Bishops had the ball on their own 37-yard line with 1:49 left in the half. Sir Louis found freshman tight end Steven Asbeck (Boynton Beach, Fla./Pope John Paul II) for 12 yards before Smith ran for 8 yards. Rice followed with 7 yards on a fourth-and-2 call from the Earlham 43, before Sir Louis broke free for 30 yards and a first down at the Quaker 6. Ohio Wesleyan tried for the end zone twice, but both passes fell incomplete and the Bishops brought on junior kicker J.D. Winteregg (Englewood/Northmont), whose 28-yard field goal was good for a 22-7 halftime lead.

Earlham threatened to come back on its first possession, but freshman defensive back Kyle Sherman (Plain City/Dublin Scioto) made a fine play to intercept Rummell in the Earlham end zone. The Quakers did score the next time they had the ball, with Rummell finding Jeremiah King in the middle of the field for a 19-yard scoring play that brought Earlham within 22-14 with 5:02 left in the third quarter.

Ohio Wesleyan put together another long drive on its next possession, but the Bishops had a touchdown called back because of a clipping penalty and had to settle for a field goal try. Winteregg came on to try a 27-yard boot, but a Quaker defender got enough of the ball to cause the try to fall short.

Similarly, the Bishop defense held on the Quakers' next drive, with junior defensive tackle Corey Hedges (Westerville/South) recording a key sack on third down from the Bishop 31-yard line. After incurring a delay of game penalty, Earlham elected to punt the ball away instead of trying for the game-tying touchdown.

The Bishops sealed the game with another overland march, covering 88 yards in just 6 plays. Rice broke loose on a 40-yard scamper and sophomore halfback Matt Carducci (Hudson) went around the left side for 20 more, with Carducci eventually scoring the game-clinching touchdown on a 5-yard run.

Rice led the Bishops with 202 yards in 29 carries, becoming the first Ohio Wesleyan player to top 200 yards in a game since 1998, when Matt Capone ran for 201 yards at Kenyon. Smith finished with 100 yards in 15 carries as the Bishops totaled 434 yards on the ground, Ohio Wesleyan's first 400-yard output since the 2001 season. Sir Louis added 58 yards on 5 rushes and completed 4 of 9 passes for 48 yards.

Asay led Earlham with 71 yards in 15 rushes, while Hibbler finished with 54 yards in 11 carries. Rummell completed 13 of 27 passes for 146 yards, with James Jewell and King each catching 4 passes.

Chrisovergis led the Bishops with 10 tackles, including 2 for loss. Senior linebacker Kent Weakley (Plain City/Dublin Scioto) added 7 stops, including 2 for loss; and sophomore defensive end Cisco Clervoix (Naples, Fla.) had 6 tackles, including a sack and another for loss.

Back to the top Battling Bishop Athletics page
   
Season Overviews | Fall Schedules | Winter Schedules | Spring Schedules
Team Rosters | Team Statistics | Coaching Staff | Facilities & Maps
Sports Releases | History | Questionnaires | Photo Galleries | "W" Association
 
OWU Home | Search | Info & Tickets | Fall Scores | Winter Scores | Spring Scores
 
Sports Information | Tel: 740-368-3698 | E-Mail: owusport@owu.edu
Mowry Alumni Center, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH 43015
 
What do you think about this site? Fill out a quick feedback form.
 
Copyright © 2003 Ohio Wesleyan University. All rights reserved.
Send Web site questions and comments to websrvcs@owu.edu.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Issues | Affirmative Action