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The Wittenberg Tiger football program is in uncharted territory, at least in its recent history. The Tigers have started the season 0-1 for the first time since 1994 after dropping a 49-16 decision at Capital on Sept. 4.
This is gut-check time for a perennial powerhouse program unaccustomed to losses at any time, let alone in a season opener. Offensively, senior quarterback Ryan Holmes is coming off a 14-for-26, 150-yard performance at Capital. His primary offensive weapons include junior tailbacks Will Block and Tristan Murray, sophomore fullback Tyler Harmon and record-breaking junior wide receiver Jered Glover. All are capable of breakout games, and the Tigers need one this week.
Defensively, the Tigers, who have led the North Coast Athletic Conference in total defense 10 of the last 12 years, must rebound. With nine returning starters, the unit was expected to be strong, but Capital's spread offense proved difficult to handle in the season opener. Sophomore cornerback Joe Brumfield, playing defense for the first time after serving as the team's back-up tailback in 2003, led Wittenberg with seven tackles against Capital, including six solos.
Thomas More is off to a 1-1 start, with a season-opening win over Hanover (31-30), followed by a loss at MacMurray (20-35) last Saturday. The Saints got a blocked extra point from Dan Ollberding in overtime to win the opener, but there were no such heroics in the loss to MacMurray thanks to 14 unanswered fourth-quarter points. Freshman running back Robert Christopher rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against MacMurray, and junior wide receiver Mike Reick leads the team with eight receptions for 167 yards through the first two games. The Saints play two quarterbacks, Nate Berkley and Seth Ellis, who are a combined 22-of-45 with four touchdowns and three interceptions on the season.
This year's football broadcasts can be heard locally on WUSO 89.1-FM, the university's student-operated station. It can also be heard around the world on the Internet thanks to Wittenberg's partnership with Stretch Internet. Wittenberg fans do not have to pay to listen to broadcasts, and anyone with a computer and an Internet connection will be able to log in and listen without risk of getting bumped off due to listener limitations. Stretch Internet utilizes QuickTime, so prospective listeners need only to download the free QuickTime Player and they're ready to listen to Wittenberg games live.
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Tyler Harmon
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For the first time in Joe Fincham's nine years at the helm of the Wittenberg Tiger football program, the Tigers started a season off with a loss. The 12th-ranked Capital Crusaders stunned Wittenberg, 49-16, at Bernlohr Stadium in Columbus.
The 24th-ranked Tigers, who hadn't lost a season opener since a 14-13 loss at Evansville in 1994, fell behind early as Capital's spread option passing and running attack had the Tigers out of sync defensively. The Crusaders took advantage of every opportunity, converting three interceptions into three touchdowns and adding an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. A game that was expected to be close throughout was over before halftime, despite the fact that by game's end the team on losing end of the score had gained more total offensive yards.
Wittenberg's offense did have its bright moments, and if it weren't for a couple of untimely penalties and turnovers, the Tigers might have been able to shoot it out with the Crusaders. The Tigers came away with no points on two of five trips inside the opponents' red zone, missing a field goal once and watching Capital's Kyle Hausler go 98 yards the other way with an interception midway through the third quarter.
Overall, Wittenberg outgained Capital 409-368, but the opportunistic Crusaders made all the game's big plays. Holmes and Murray were the Tigers' leading rushers, accumulating 73 yards apiece, while junior Will Block added 56 yards on 14 carries in his first collegiate start and sophomore Tyler Harmon chipped in with 42 yards on nine carries from his fullback spot. The Tigers rolled up 259 yards rushing for the game, and another 150 in the passing game as Holmes finished 14-of-25 on the day. Junior wide receiver Jered Glover had 28 yards rushing and 32 yards receiving.
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Jered Glover
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Wittenberg holds a 3-0 lead in the series. The Tigers won the first-ever confrontation 41-0 in the second round of the 2001 NCAA Division III Tournament and won 31-6 victory in the 2002 regular season. Both games were played at Thomas More.
A year ago, Wittenberg romped to a 56-28 win at Edwards-Maurer Field. Sparked by a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Jered Glover, the Tigers turned the game into a shootout, rolling up 440 offensive yards and converting five Thomas More turnovers into points.
Thomas More is led by first-year coach Mike Hallett. A former standout at Mount Union and an offensive assistant at Thomas More the last five years, Hallett's only previous head coaching experience came at Wooster High School in 1997 and '98.