Mitchell Czerniak

The College of Wooster heads to North Coast Athletic Conference foe Kenyon College (4-4, 4-3 NCAC) this Saturday, Nov. 9, with thoughts of clinching its first winning season since 2008. Under a new coaching staff, headed by Frank Colaprete, Wooster is not only attempting to finish above .500 for the first time in five years, but it also has a chance to take third-place in the conference standings, which would also be a first since 2008. Saturday's kickoff at 2,200-seat McBride Field in Gambier, Ohio, is scheduled at 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 on the radio station's website at http://wkvx.com/.

Kenyon will be providing live video at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/kenyon.portal#.

All-Time Series: Wooster has won about two-thirds of the games in its long-running series with Kenyon, holding a 47-23-3 advantage (.664). Since the two institutions helped form the NCAC in 1984, the Scots are ahead 15-10 (.600), thanks to victories in 12 of the last 14. The Lords did trip up Wooster last season, scoring a touchdown with just :10 remaining for a 21-17 decision. The only other time Kenyon interrupted the Scots' current run was in 2005, which halted Wooster's 14-game regular season winning streatk – the sixth-longest streak in NCAA Div. III at the time.

Last Week: On Nov. 2, Jake Vellucci (Massillon, Ohio / Jackson) made clutch catches on back-to-back plays – the first two receptions of his career – first converting a 4th-and-3 followed by a 19-yard touchdown from Richard Barnes (Painesville, Ohio / Harvey) that gave Wooster a 27-24 lead, then the Scots' defense stopped DePauw University three more possessions to earn a hard-fought, three-point victory in NCAC action at Greencastle, Ind.

The lead changed hands five times from early in the third quarter to early in the fourth. Wooster gained its first advantage, 13-10, when Barnes rushed in from eight yards out to cap a seven-play, 51-yard drive.

After DePauw retook the lead 17-13, the two teams exchanged short punts and then Wooster hit on a trick play. Barnes tossed a lateral to Keir Pace (Columbus, Ohio / South), who then found fellow receiver Darrian Owens (Wooster, Ohio / Wooster) open for a 46-yard touchdown, giving the Scots a 20-17 edge on the scoreboard.

Again their lead was short lived, this time just three offensive plays until the Tigers went back ahead 24-20 at the end of the third quarter.

The ensuing series turned out to be the game's most important. After converting a 3rd-and-8 early in the possession, Wooster was faced with a 3rd-and-21 from the DePauw 45 when Barnes rolled out of the pocket and passed to Pace on the near sideline for 18 yards to set up 4th-and-short. The Scots made the first down, as Barnes connected with Vellucci on a quick-hitter over the middle. On the next snap, Vellucci went down the middle again, this time a longer route as he collected the ball just inside the five-yard line and covered the final yardage for what turned out to be the game-winner.

There was still 11:27 remaining. Both defenses forced three-and-outs before the Tigers started advancing the ball, making three first downs to the Wooster 32. However, the defense stiffened, highlighted by an Ian Crawford (North Canton, Ohio / St. Thomas Aquinas) 22-yard sack on fourth down.

DePauw had one last opportunity, regaining possession at its own 16-yard line with 2:35 on the clock. After one first down, the Scots' Vinnie Congedo (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Allegheny) helped clinch the win, intercepting a pass at the Wooster 36 at the 1:52 mark.

The Scots' high-powered offense struggled most of the opening half, but put some points up late, a two-yard Sean Hackel Farmington, N.Y. / Victor) touchdown run that was set up by a 31-yard Barnes scramble. They also came up with a late takeaway, with Matt Osolinski (Delaware, Ohio / Olentangy Liberty) recovering a fumble on their own 13-yard line :21 before halftime.

Overall, Wooster outgained the Tigers by a 440-402 margin.

Barnes was just shy of 300 yards of total offense himself (291), completing 16-of-27 passes for 186 yards and rushing for 105 on 18 carries. Hackel finished with an identical 105 rushing yards as well as 40 receiving on a team-high five catches. Owens had a team-leading 67 receiving yards.

This and That: Wooster has produced at least two takeaways in every game this year and is tied for 11th in the NCAA Div. III statistics in turnover margin (+1.6 per game), as the Scots have 22 takeaways (12 interceptions, 10 fumble recoveries) and just nine giveaways ... Senior quarterback Richard Barnes (Painesville, Ohio / Harvey) is 230 passing yards and 412 yards of total offense away from setting single-season school records in both of those categories, currently held by Austin Holter, who had 2,106 passing yards and 2,873 yards of total offense during the 2009 season ... Junior running back Sean Hackel (Farmington, N.Y. / Victor) is 214 yards short of a 1,000-yard rushing season, a milestone that has not been hit by a Wooster player since Dustin Sheppard in 2006 ... Offensively, Wooster is averaging 79.6 plays, up 10.3 over last year (69.3).