BEREA, Ohio — The Baldwin Wallace University football team celebrated Homecoming in style Saturday afternoon, rolling past Ohio Northern University, 38-10, at Tressel Field at George Finnie Stadium. The Yellow Jackets improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in Ohio Athletic Conference play with the victory.
Game Recap
BW got off to a fast start after
TJ Gibbons intercepted an Ohio Northern pass to set up the Yellow Jackets' opening scoring drive.
Charlie Bubonics connected with
Seandelle Gardner for a 24-yard touchdown to give BW a 7-0 lead with 8:15 remaining in the first quarter.
After Ohio Northern cut the deficit to 7-3 with a second-quarter field goal, OAC Special Team Player of the Week,
Owen Warrick extended the Yellow Jackets' lead with a 25-yard field goal. BW's defense then came up with a key takeaway when
Nolan Hartsel recovered a fumble, setting up another scoring opportunity.
The Yellow Jackets capitalized as Bubonics found Gardner again, this time for a 16-yard touchdown with 1:08 remaining in the first half, giving BW a 17-3 advantage at the break.
BW continued to build momentum in the third quarter. Bubonics connected with
Colin Quinlan for a 49-yard touchdown to cap a five-play, 70-yard drive and push the lead to 24-3. Just over a minute later,
Blayze Myers recovered a fumble to give the Yellow Jackets possession deep in Ohio Northern territory. Two plays later, Bubonics hit Gardner for a 28-yard touchdown, extending the advantage to 31-3.
Ohio Northern scored early in the fourth quarter to make it 31-10, but BW answered immediately. On the Yellow Jackets' next possession, Bubonics delivered a 71-yard touchdown pass to
Xavier Balson, putting the game out of reach to secure a 38-10 victory.
Bubonics completed 13-of-25 passes for 302 yards and five touchdowns. Gardner led the receiving corps with five catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Quinlan added three receptions for 66 yards and a score, while Balson hauled in the 71-yard touchdown.
The Yellow Jackets finished with 403 yards of total offense while limiting Ohio Northern to 312. BW's defense forced two fumbles and recorded two interceptions, helping the Yellow Jackets force five turnovers.
Defensively,
Blake Hopkins led BW with 11 tackles. Myers recorded a sack and a fumble recovery, while
Eli Walker and Gibbons each intercepted a pass. The Yellow Jackets totaled four sacks.
For their efforts, Bubonics earned the Frank Ropollo Offensive Player of the Game honor, while senior
Judah Reid was named the Dick Miller Defensive Player of the Game.
The Matchup
Saturday's matchup marked the 50th meeting between Baldwin Wallace and Ohio Northern. With the victory, the Yellow Jackets improved their all-time record against the Polar Bears to 35-14-1.
Looking Ahead
The Yellow Jackets will return to the road next week to face Marietta College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
