The College of Wooster can finish with a winning record for the seventh time in eight years and 12th out of 14, when the Fighting Scots take on arch-rival and North Coast Athletic Conference foe Wittenberg University (9-0, 6-0 NCAC) this Saturday, Nov. 14, at Springfield, Ohio. Wittenberg enters with a national ranking (No. 11 American Football Coaches Association, No. 12 D3football.com), at least a share of the 2009 NCAC championship, and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III Football Championship, so the Tigers will be attempting to secure the outright title and their first perfect regular season since 2000. It will be a match-up of contrasting styles, as Wooster features one of the best offensive units in the nation, ranking 29th in total offense (428.1 ypg), and Wittenberg has the top-rated defense in Div. III, in terms of both scoring (5.2 ppg) and yardage (152.7 ypg). Opening kickoff at Edwards-Maurer Field is set for 1 p.m. EST.
On the Air: Wooster's football games can be heard live each week in the Wooster area on WKVX 960 AM or anywhere in the world by following links on the radio station's Web site at http://wkvx.com/.
All-Time Series: Wittenberg and Wooster have put on some very memorable games recently, as seven of the last 13 have been decided by eight points or less, highlighted by the epic 2004 match-up, which the Fighting Scots won 64-58 in overtime after the Tigers came back from 48-17 and 58-37 deficits, and forced the extra session when they scored on 4th down from the 3-yard line with just :15 left. Despite all of the close games, Wittenberg has been a nemesis for Wooster, as the Tigers lead the all-time series 30-12-1. The Scots, though, have prevailed in two of the last five, including a convincing 27-6 victory a year ago.
Last Game: Wooster scored two touchdowns just 24 seconds apart late in the second quarter to blow open its "Senior Day" game with visiting Oberlin College, and the Scots cruised from there to a 52-7 NCAC victory at John P. Papp Stadium on Nov. 7.
The game had been close for most of the first half, as Oberlin was looking to pull within a touchdown when Dan Terhune (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Orange) broke through the line to smother a field goal attempt and Hector Clavijo (Miami, Fla. / Hialeah) scooped the ball up and rumbled 75 yards for a touchdown and 24-7 lead for Wooster with 1:17 remaining in the second quarter.
On the Yeomen's ensuing series, the Scots' Taylor Trout (Nashport, Ohio / Tri-Valley) intercepted his third pass of the year, setting up the offense at the Oberlin 29-yard line. One play later, Robert Flagg (Dunedin, Fla. / Dunedin) took the handoff, somehow escaped the grasp of a defender who had hold of his jersey, and sprinted into the end zone, as Wooster turned a potential 17-10 game into a 31-7 cushion in the span of 24 seconds.
The Scots carried that momentum over to the third quarter, scoring on their first two possessions. Austin Holter (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) closed an 11-play, 66-yard drive by faking out the Yeomen defense and taking it in himself untouched from seven yards away. Holter would add a second rushing touchdown on a nearly identical play fake later in the period, this time from 17 yards out, finishing a seven-play, 62-yard drive and putting Wooster up 45-7.
With the commanding lead, the Scots were able to celebrate "Senior Day," during the fourth quarter, highlighted by a 53-yard pass from Chad Parker (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Penn Hills) to Will Hansen (Perrysville, Ohio / Loudonville). For Parker, a four-year player who was Holter's back-up for the last three seasons, it marked his first career touchdown pass. It also was the first career touchdown reception for Hansen, another senior.
Earlier, another senior, tight end Jon Mathis (Tallmadge, Ohio / Tallmadge), caught his first career touchdown pass, a 12-yarder from Holter to break a 7-7 tie in the second quarter.
For the game, Wooster racked up a season-high 515 yards of total offense, including 322 rushing, also a season high. Flagg led the way with a career-high 134 yards on just 12 rushes, an average of 11.2 yards, while senior Orlando Jones (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria) notched a career-high 91 yards, also on 12 attempts.
Holter, who added 60 rushing yards, was 12-of-24 through the air for 133 yards, and another senior, Luke McCann (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Keystone Oaks), led the squad in receiving with four for 59 yards.
Team Award Winners: For their efforts (see above), running backs Robert Flagg (Dunedin, Fla. / Dunedin) and Orlando Jones (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria) were named co-Offensive Players of the Week by the Scots' coaching staff. The weekly defensive honor went to freshman safety Quinton Howard (Alliance, Ohio / Marlington) for his 10-tackle, one-pass breakup performance, while Wooster's Special Teams Player of the Week was freshman punter Dana Obery (South Euclid, Ohio / Brush). He averaged 42.3 yards on three attempts. Additional team awards went to placekicker Russ Palm (Williamstown, W. Va. / Williamstown), who tallied 10 points with a 28-yard field goal and 7-of-7 extra points; Dan Terhune (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Orange) and Hector Clavijo (Miami, Fla. / Hialeah), who shared the "Gamebreaker" for their blocked field goal and 75-yard touchdown return, respectively; and senior left guard Storm Tropea (Hollywood, Fla. / Hollywood Hills), who won the "Mule" after grading out as the squad's top offensive lineman.
Holter's Records Watch: Austin Holter (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) is quite simply putting together one of the best seasons by a quarterback in Wooster history. Holter has already set the single-season record for completions with 177 and needs just 36 yards of total offense, 67 passing yards, and one touchdown pass to reach the top previous marks in those categories. Holter also will likely reach the Scots' career record for total offense, entering Saturday's finale with 7,262 yards, just 69 shy of Rich Judd's 7,331 from 1995-98. Of Holter's total, 1,771 yards have been rushing, which is believed to be a school-record at the quarterback position.