Darrian Owens

For just the third time in the last 14 meetings, The College of Wooster lost the "Old Red Lantern" as the Fighting Scots did not have enough answers for Denison University quarterback Brandon Sklenar, who piled up 446 yards of total offense, and the Big Red took the trophy by the final score of 38-24 in the North Coast Athletic Conference rivals' game Saturday night in Granville, Ohio.

Wooster (3-4, 3-3 NCAC) gave up two explosive plays during the first quarter – a 76-yard catch-and-run by DuShawn Brown and a 63-yard quarterback keeper for Sklenar. Those marked the longest pass and longest rush allowed by the Scots this season, and they came on back-to-back possessions for Denison (3-4, 2-4 NCAC).

In between, Wooster put together a nine-play, 68-yard touchdown march, capped by Sean Hackel converting a 4th-and-2 with a three-yard score up the middle, and it was 14-7 Big Red through one quarter.

After Sklenar's long run, both offenses stalled out for five possessions, one of which ended on a Tyson Vogel interception for the Scots. Midway through the second quarter, though, Sklenar hit for 38- and 24-yard passing plays to set up a one-yard touchdown toss to Cam Layer for a 21-7 advantage.

Wooster bounced back, with help from a fumbled punt return by Denison, and moved inside the 10. However, the drive stalled there and the Scots settled for a Trevor Bowden 20-yard field goal with 1:01 before the half.

The biggest difference in the game may have come next when Denison drove 65 yards in just five plays and 28 seconds, capped by a Sklenar-to-Brown 15-yard touchdown pass, for a 28-10 halftime cushion.

Wooster began the second half with possession and made its way into the red zone, but again was held to a field goal attempt and this time a 37-yarder was blocked.

The Big Red, aided by a pass interference penalty on a 3rd-and-13 and a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a punt, responded with an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown march. Brown finished it with his third score, this one a three-yard pass from Sklenar.

The fourth quarter featured a pair of touchdown receptions for the Scots' Darrian Owens, the first covering 20 yards on a halfback pass from Tyler Smith and the second being a nine-yarder from freshman quarterback Jack Marousek.

Sklenar's 446 total yards came on 90 rushing and 356 passing, 272 of which went to Brown on 13 catches.

A bright spot for Wooster was the punting of Tyler Gerwig, who averaged 44.4 yards on seven punts.

The Scots will look to rebound from their first two-game losing streak under second-year head coach Frank Colaprete when they host DePauw University (5-2, 4-2 NCAC) next Saturday at 1 p.m.