OBERLIN, Ohio — If the Wittenberg Tigers make a return to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference standings in 2006, it will be a resurgent defense that made it possible. In the cold, high winds, rain and occasional hail at Oberlin's Dill Field, the Tigers got physical in a 22-6 victory.
The win was Wittenberg's fifth in the last six games, and it drew the Tigers within two games of their eighth NCAC championship in 17 years in the conference. Wittenberg is 5-3 overall and 4-1 in the NCAC, one-half game behind Wabash, a 20-10 victor against Wooster on Saturday. The Little Giants have one conference game remaining, while the Tigers have two. If both win out, Wittenberg will gain the NCAC's automatic playoff berth thanks to a victory over Wabash on Oct. 14 in Springfield.
Like the weather, this one was anything but pretty, but the Tigers aren't in it for style points. Senior tailback Tristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) accounted for 140 of Wittenberg's 188 yards of total offense - scoring a touchdown rushing and another receiving in the process - and the Wittenberg defense did most of the rest.
It was the defense that got the scoring started. After Wittenberg was forced to punt on its first possession, Oberlin committed two straight penalties to start the following drive. After a short running play, the Yeomen attempted to pass, but Wittenberg sophomore defensive tackle Anthony Davis (New Lexington, Ohio/Fisher Catholic) picked a tremendous time for his first career sack, dragging down Oberlin quarterback Andy Stein in the end zone for a safety.
For the game, the Tiger defense allowed just 210 total yards, although that was 22 more than Wittenberg picked up on the other side of the ball. Senior linebackersTyler Harmon (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) and Joe Swanson (Germantown, Ohio/Valley View) were outstanding again, splitting a combined 22 tackles evenly. Swanson's biggest play of the game came late in the fourth quarter as he recovered an Oberlin fumble to stop a drive.
Wittenberg led 8-0 at the end of the first quarter on Davis' safety and a six-yard touchdown run by Murray. Freshman quarterback Aaron Huffman (Newark, Ohio/Newark) added a seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which was countered by an Oberlin field goal, and the Tigers took a 15-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Oberlin picked up a second long field goal in the third quarter to cut the lead to nine, but Murray scored on a 21-yard pass from Huffman with four minutes left in the frame to push the lead out to 22-6. That's how things ended, thanks to the defense.
The Yeomen got 67 yards rushing from R.V. Carroll and 162 yards passing from Greg Mangan, who completed 20-of-27 passes. However, Oberlin, Kenyon and Wooster all absorbed a second NCAC loss Saturday to give the conference standings an unexpectedly thorough shakeout after five teams entered the weekend with just one loss.
Wittenberg returns home for a Senior Recognition Day date with Allegheny next Saturday. The Tigers round out the season with a road game against Hiram on Nov. 11.