WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster football team logged its best statistical defensive game in nearly two decades, and fittingly, the dominant performance was one of many signature moments in head coach Frank Colaprete's 50th win leading the Fighting Scots' program. Wooster's 36-0 shutout of Oberlin College on Saturday afternoon at John P. Papp Stadium featured the Yeomen having just 96 yards of offense, while senior Lake Barrett broke the program's career record with field goal 28 in the second quarter.
Oberlin (1-8, 0-7 NCAC) managed to get the ball on Wooster's (4-5, 3-4 NCAC) side of the field just twice, and one of them was only because of a Scots' turnover. The shutout was in serious jeopardy after Oberlin took over at Wooster's 3-yard line in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Braydon Hudson and senior Ben Greenwood bottled up Greg Lane for no gain on a first-down carry. Oberlin tried to generate offense with a designed run directly snapped to its 6-8 lineman, Leander Herman, but Hudson and senior Kobe Nadu led the charge that set the Yeomen back to the 5-yard line. On third down, sophomore Tate Journell picked off Drew Nye at the 5-yard line and ran pick four of the season back 62 yards before the Yeomen quarterback was able to catch up for the tackle.
Earlier, Oberlin crossed midfield in the second quarter on a 12-yard completion and reached Wooster's 41-yard line. A pass completed to the left turned into a turnover when Journell pried the ball from Jackson Garlick and junior Tyler Miller fell on it.
Five sacks set Oberlin back 38 yards. Nye did find success scrambling early in the game, but that quickly changed late in the first quarter. Junior Liam Regan caught Nye before the Yeomen's signal-caller could get free for a 1-yard sack on a first-and-15 snap. In the second quarter, sophomore Wyatt Harris burst through the line to drop Nye for a 9-yard loss when the Yeomen were trying to convert on fourth-and-1. Elsewhere, senior Neil Clayton dropped Nye for nine yards in the third once the pocket collapsed, senior Domenic DeMuth and first-year Jayden Taylor combined for a 12-yard sack on the final play of the third quarter, while first-year Donovon Jackson nearly had a safety with Nye getting credit for forward progress to the 1-yard line on a third-and-25 play in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Noah Clark, an All-Ohio high school quarterback at nearby West Holmes High School, was electric in his first collegiate start, completing 13-of-19 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns, all of which came in the first half. Thirty-four of the yards went to junior Brazos Gadler on Wooster's first touchdown of the day, which came with 9:47 on the first-quarter clock.
Clark later completed touchdown passes of 48 and three yards to junior Andrew Hammer and Journell, respectively, with the final touchdown putting Wooster up 24-0 with 12:04 left before halftime once Barrett knocked home the extra point.
Barrett kicked field goals of 26 and 22 yards in the win, with the 22-yarder breaking a tie with Richie McNally for the most in program history at 28.
Other additions to Wooster's growing lead came from sophomore Jarvis Mims Jr., who scored on the ground from a yard out just before halftime, and a safety with 2:21 remaining in the game. The safety occurred when Jackson Gathings dropped a snap and kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone.
Mims Jr. led Wooster's rushing attack with 86 yards on 20 carries, while in total, the Scots ran the ball 55 times for 213 yards. Gadler moved to the cusp of breaking into Wooster's top-10 list for career receiving yards with a 100-yard afternoon on eight catches. Sophomore Brock Sivon, junior Hunter Arce, who recently moved from tight end to linebacker, and Miller all tied for the team lead with four tackles.
Nye completed 16-of-29 passes for 112 yards, 42 of which went to Garlick. Oberlin did not do anything on the ground, finishing with minus 19 yards. Nye gained 32 yards on the ground, but finished six in the hole due to the sacks. Jamykle Benison was officially the leading rusher at six yards on two carries. Brandon Hall's 13 tackles led all players.
Wooster outgained Oberlin more than 4-to-1 at 434 yards to 96 yards. Oberlin had just six first downs and was a dismal 3-for-14 on third down.
Of note, Wooster's 96 yards allowed were the fewest since Carthage College had just 60 in a 2004 second-round NCAA Div. III Championships game against the Scots.
Wooster closes out its season at Wittenberg University (5-3, 4-2 NCAC) on Saturday, November 11. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.