OLIVET, Mich. - The Wittenberg Tigers kicked off the 2009 season with a nearly flawless performance at Olivet, thumping the host Comets 37-6.
Wittenberg, which has a week off before returning to action at Washington University (Mo.) on Sept. 19, defeated Olivet in the season opener for a third consecutive year. Unlike the previous two years, however, the Tigers were dominant from start to finish in 2009.
The final team statistics tell the story fairly well. Wittenberg amassed 540 yards of total offense, compared to 117 for Olivet. The Tigers showed great balance, netting 242 yards rushing and 298 passing while emptying the bench by the end of the third quarter. Olivet's lone score came in the fourth quarter against a defense mostly made up of Wittenberg's back-ups.
Junior tailback Corey Weber (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) picked up right where he left off in 2008. Sidelined for the rest of the season by an injury after gaining 74 yards and scoring two touchdowns in last year's 22-10 Wittenberg win in Springfield, Weber rumbled for 152 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries against the 2009 version of the Comets.
Through the air, the Tigers were just as efficient behind senior quarterback Aaron Huffman (Newark, Ohio/Newark), who missed the last eight games of 2008 with an injury. He contributed 265 yards and two touchdowns passing and another 37 yards on six carries on the ground before giving way to junior Andrew Durbin (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), who completed 4-of-5 passes for 33 yards.
Senior wide receiver Patrick Williams (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) did his thing, leading both teams with six receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown. He is now just 27 receptions away from the Wittenberg career receiving record, currently held by Jered Glover (167 from 2002-05). Sophomore wideout Michael Cooper (Springfield, Ohio/South) added three receptions for 18 yards and a score and sophomore wide receiver Josh McKee (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) chipped in with two catches for 66 yards. Weber was also a key part of the passing game with two receptions for 53 yards, including one for 47 that set up a touchdown.
While the lead story may have been the return of numerous injured Tigers on offense, the inspired performance by the Tiger defense keyed the victory. No individual Wittenberg player managed more than six total tackles, in part because the Comets were limited to 40 plays from scrimmage while possessing the ball just 20:21. In the first half alone, four of Olivet's possessions ended in a punt and the Comets managed just two first downs.
Sophomore linebacker Zach Hurtt (Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands) led the way with six tackles and a sack. Junior linebacker Brad McKinley (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson)added five tackles, including a sack for a loss of five yards, and junior defensive end Eddie Vallery (South Solon, Ohio/Madison Plains) added a sack, a forced fumble and a pass break-up to go along with five total stops.