The Wittenberg football team has a chance for redemption this weekend. With memories of the program's first 0-3 start in more than 50 years still fresh, the Tigers have recovered to start out the North Coast Athletic Conference schedule with three straight wins, setting the stage for a key showdown with unbeaten and nationally ranked Wabash on Saturday.
The Tigers are coming off a second straight shutout victory, a 66-0 win over visiting Hiram on Saturday. In that game, senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) made his first start since opening week due to injury, throwing for 137 yards and three touchdowns in less than one half of work. The Tigers did most of their damage on the ground, churning out 311 rushing yards, led by junior Jason Hartzler (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) with career highs of nine carries and 68 yards in the fourth quarter and senior Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), who moved into the top 10 nationally with three more touchdowns, giving him 13 on the season.
For the third straight week, it was the Tigers' much-maligned defensive unit that spearheaded the win. After giving up 133 points in the first three games, the Wittenberg defense has shut down Denison, Earlham and Hiram, allowing just six points in the first quarter of a 31-6 win over Denison on Oct. 1. Wittenberg has not allowed a point in 11 quarters, a span of more than 174 minutes of game action.
Against Hiram, school records were set for total offensive yards allowed (-1 yards) and rushing yards allowed (-45), breaking marks established in 1970 against California (Pa.). The tone was set in the opening minutes as senior defensive endsDave Fleck (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) and Chris Vennefron (Hamilton, Ohio/Somerville Edgewood) recovered fumbles on Hiram's first two offensive plays from scrimmage.
The Tigers will find out just how far they have come in the 2005 season when they travel to Wabash this weekend. After losses to three teams with a combined record of 15-4 to open the season and wins over three teams with a combined record of 5-14 since the calendar flipped to October, Wittenberg, the preseason favorite to capture an eighth league title in 17 years, is something of an enigma. Wabash has been a steamroller so far this year and has positioned itself to win its second conference title since joining the NCAC in 2000.