The Tigers now enter what appears to be the softest part of the 2004 schedule, starting with a game this weekend against winless Huntingdon, a second-year program that is 0-9 all-time in NCAA Division III football. Wittenberg isn't in a position to overlook anyone, however, especially a team like Huntingdon that is starved for a win.
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Offensively, senior quarterback Ryan Holmes asserted himself in the fourth quarter of the win over Thomas More, and when the dust had cleared he had thrown for 303 yards and four touchdowns, stats that earned him North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors. His primary offensive weapons include junior tailbacks Will Block and Tristan Murray, sophomore fullback Tyler Harmon and record-breaking junior wide receiver Jered Glover, who is already fifth on the career receiving list at Wittenberg with 104 catches. Murray busted out for 198 yards of total offense against Thomas More, including a key 63-yard touchdown catch that started the comeback.
The Tigers, who have led the NCAC in total defense 10 of the last 12 years, have started slowly despite the presence of nine returning starters and are allowing an uncharacteristic 40 points per game. Sophomore cornerback Joe Brumfield, on defense for the first time after playing tailback in 2003, led Wittenberg with seven tackles against Capital, including six solos. Against Thomas More, freshman cornerback Alan Tracewell made his first collegiate start and had two interceptions, while junior safety Adam Hewitt and junior cornerback Mike Freeman each made eight solo tackles.
Huntingdon is 0-2 through the first two games of the 2004 season, with the losses coming to Louisiana College and Sewanee before an off-week last Saturday. The Hawks' biggest problems are in the running game - both offensively and defensively. Huntingdon is averaging just 88.5 yards per game on the ground, while the Hawks' opponents are racking up 228.5 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Mark Colson is the team's leading rusher and passer, averaging 26 yards on the ground and 133 through the air so far this season. His top receiver is Jacob Goodwin with 11 receptions for 171 yards through two games.
This year's 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 can log in and listen.
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Thomas More scored 17 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters to take a 31-21 lead. But Wittenberg responded at gut-check time. First, Tristan Murray took a swing pass 63 yards for a touchdown with 7:43 left in the fourth quarter to bring Wittenberg to within three points. Then, Ryan Holmes led the Tigers on a victory march, directing Wittenberg on a game-winning 87-yard, 13-play drive that culminated in a four-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Eric Kubilus with just 33.6 seconds showing on the clock.
Holmes came up big, finishing 19 of 36 for 303 yards, turning in just the ninth 300-yard passing game in school history and the first of his career. His four touchdown passes were a career best and one short of a Wittenberg record as well. Murray had his biggest game in the Red & White, going for 105 yards on 18 carries and adding three receptions for 93 yards in his first start and second game overall since transferring from Brown University last winter.
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Joe Brumfield
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Wittenberg holds a 1-0 lead in the series. The Tigers won the first-ever confrontation 45-21 in 2003. In that game, the Tigers got big offensive games from wide receiver Skip Ivery, Holmes and Brumfield to help the top-scoring team in the NCAC to another lop-sided victory. Ivery caught six passes for 104 yards and three touchdowns; Holmes completed 15 of 25 passes for 239 yards, and Brumfield made the most of his first extended collegiate action with 107 yards on 25 carries.
Wittenberg gained 26 first downs to Huntingdon's 12 and gained 481 total yards to the Hawks' 265. Eight different Tiger players caught at least one pass, including Glover, who had six catches for 95 yards. Defensively, nine Wittenberg players recorded at least one-half a tackle for loss, led by safety Mitch Fonseca with seven tackles.