Greencastle, Ind. - DePauw scored two defensive touchdowns in the first 56 seconds of the game which propelled the Tigers to a 75-0 North Coast Athletic Conference win over visiting Oberlin. The 13th-ranked Tigers improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the NCAC with their 29th straight regular season win, while the Yeomen dropped to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play.
DePauw's Luke Nolan sacked Oberlin quarterback Drew Nye on the third play of the game and Chris Green scooped up the fumble and took it in for a score just 46 seconds into the contest. On the Yeomen's second play of the ensuing drive, Toreeq Jimoh-Oyesigi took an Oberlin fumble 25 yards for a score to make it 13-0 with 11:04 left in the opening stanza.
Following an Oberlin punt, the Tigers drove 51 yards in eight plays with Caden Whitehead scoring on a 7-yard run. Another three-and-out for the Tigers' defense led to a 2-play scoring drive with Scott Ballentine connecting with Robby Ballentine for a 41-yard score to push DePauw's lead to 28-0 with 4:32 remaining in the quarter.
Nathan Creed forced a fumble on the kickoff that Shane Gastineau recovered at the Oberlin 22 and, three plays later, Seth Mencer ran it in from 13 yards for a 35-0 advantage.
Scott and Robby Ballentine connected again for a 53-yard score with 1:00 left in the first to make it 42-0.
The Ballentine brothers teamed again in the second for an 8-yard score before Dominic Seibal's sack of Nye on Oberlin's first offensive play of the next drive forced a fumble that Owen Rossell recovered at the Oberlin 2. Whitehead's 2-yard run on the next play expanded the Tigers' lead to 55-0 with 7:37 remaining in the half.
Anthony Garzolini's 9-yard pass to Jack Gordon with 3:48 left in the half pushed the lead to 61-0.
Kaiden Bond's 16-yard run capped DePauw's opening drive of the second half to make it 68-0 and Luke Russo's 5-yard run with 10:19 remaining in the game wrapped up the scoring.
Bond led DePauw with 63 rushing yards in six attempts, while Peyton Cross followed with 57 yards in seven tries. Scott Ballentine completed 9-of-12 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns with Robby Ballentine catching nine for 145 yards and three scores.
Nye completed 12-of-26 for 64 yards with JJ Racz hauling in four for 19 yards.
Carson Dibble led DePauw with three tackles with Seibal, Nolan and Vincent Neal each finishing with one sack apiece. Ramzey Lewis paced Oberlin with seven tackles.
The Tigers held a 22-3 edge in first downs and outgained Oberlin in total yards, 428-22. DePauw rushed for 259 yards and held the Yeomen to minus 42 yards on the ground.
DePauw returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 18, when it host John Carroll in a 1 p.m. NCAC contest.
NOTES
- DePauw's 75 points were the fourth-most in program history and the most since a 76-point game against Butler on October 17, 1919. It's the Tigers; largest output in the modern era.
- The Tigers' 42 points in the first quarter equaled the program mark for most points in a quarter and the 61 in the half were also the most.
- Robby Ballentine extended his program record for touchdown catches to 46, while his 205 career catches rank fourth and his 3,080 receiving yards are second.
- Robby Ballentine's 276 career points are second in program history behind Jeremiah Marks' (2004-07) 336.
- The win was DePauw's 29th straight regular season victory and 14th consecutive regular season home win.
- DePauw has now won 23 straight conference games.
- Caden Whitehead's 26 career rushing touchdowns are tied for fifth in program history and his 1,889 rushing yards are 11th.
- Luke Nolan's 20.0 career sacks are fourth in program history.
- Today marked the 84th anniversary of the dedication game of Blackstock Stadium.
- DePauw entered with the best rushing defense on all levels on NCAA play and now has held opponents to an average of -7.2 rushing yards per contest.
- The Tigers are allowing opponents just 139.2 total yards per game.