WILMINGTON, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University football team continued its undefeated start to the 2026 season with a 66-13 road victory over the Wilmington College Quakers today.. The Yellow Jackets improved to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play with the win.
BW wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Freshman defensive back Eli Walker intercepted a Wilmington pass on the Quakers' opening possession, setting the Yellow Jackets up at the Wilmington 31-yard line. Senior running back George Linberger then capped the four-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give BW a 7-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets added to their advantage when junior Tristan Toy returned a Wilmington punt 56 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0. On BW's next offensive series, Wilmington answered with blocked punt and took it 31 yards for a touchdown to make it a 14-7 game late in the first quarter.
After a scoreless stretch to close the opening quarter, BW found the end zone three times in the second. Linberger broke free for a 15-yard rushing touchdown to finish a 79-yard drive and push the lead to 21-7. Senior quarterback Charlie Bubonics then connected with junior Seandelle Gardner for a 10-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-7.
The Yellow Jackets continued to build their lead with a 72-yard scoring drive, capped by a five-yard touchdown reception from junior Xavier Balson. BW added one more score just before halftime when Bubonics connected with senior Colin Quinlan for a 50-yard touchdown pass with 41 seconds remaining. The Yellow Jackets carried a 42-7 advantage into the break.
BW opened the second half with another scoring drive, as Bubonics kept the ball for an 18-yard rushing touchdown to extend the lead to 49-7. Wilmington added a 29-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, but the Yellow Jackets quickly answered. Bubonics found Balson for a 60-yard touchdown reception just 53 seconds after the Quakers' field goal, making it 56-10.
Sophomore Owen Warrick added a 37-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter to give BW a 59-10 lead.
The Yellow Jackets' defense came up with another big play early in the fourth quarter, as sophomore Codi Mullen recovered a Wilmington fumble at the BW one-yard line. BW turned the takeaway into a 99-yard scoring drive, capped by a 33-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Frankie Trinetti to junior Avery Offenburg with 3:58 remaining. Warrick's extra point pushed the lead to 66-10.
Wilmington added a 37-yard field goal in the final seconds to account for the 66-13 final.
Bubonics made history in the second quarter, setting a new Baldwin Wallace single-season record for passing touchdowns with his 10-yard scoring connection to Gardner passing Geoff Helmlinger who threw 27 touchdown in 1998. The senior finished the afternoon completing 18-of-25 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns, bringing his season total to 31.
Linberger paced the BW rushing attack with 153 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries, averaging 10.9 yards per carry. Senior Boston Mulinix added 87 yards on 14 carries, while Bubonics contributed 25 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Quinlan led the receiving corps with seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, while Balson hauled in three passes for 75 yards and two scores. Gardner added two receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, senior Nolan Hartsel recorded a team-high six tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. BW totaled three sacks and 10 tackles for loss, while Walker added an interception and Mullen forced and recovered a fumble.
As a team, BW totaled 656 yards of offense, the second-highest single-game total in program history. The mark also surpassed the Yellow Jackets' previous season high of 648 yards, set in their 84-26 victory over Bethany College in the season opener.
The Matchup
With the win, the Yellow Jackets improved to 24-3 all-time against the Quakers. Their .888 winning percentage against Wilmington ranks as the second-highest against any opponent in program history, trailing only BW's .921 mark against Ohio Wesleyan University (17-1-1).
Looking Ahead
The Yellow Jackets continue OAC play next Saturday, November 7, when they travel to face the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders in a highly anticipated matchup. With a win, BW would secure the 2026 OAC title, claiming its first conference championship since 1994 and its first outright title since 1991. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m., with the game set to be televised on Amazon Prime Video via the FloSports channel.
