Tyler Gerwig

The College of Wooster hopes to get back on the winning track and head towards its readjusted goals of a third-place finish in the North Coast Athletic Conference and a winning season, as the Fighting Scots welcome the current third-place team in the standings, DePauw University (5-2, 4-2 NCAC), to John P. Papp Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1. If Wooster can defeat DePauw for the second year in a row, it will move up to a tie for third, and maintain the possibility of back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2005-06. On the other side of the field, the Tigers are trying to separate themselves from the pack of NCAC teams vying for a top-three spot and win for the fifth time in six games. Saturday's kickoff on Andrew Turf Field at John P. Papp Stadium is set for 1 p.m. EDT.

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/.

Also, for all five home games, the audio and video from local cable provider MCTV, Inc., will be broadcast live over the web at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/wooster.portal#.

All-Time Series: This is just the fifth time DePauw and Wooster have played each other. They've split two meetings since the Tigers joined the conference – a 27-24 Wooster win in 2013 and a 27-16 DePauw win in 2012 – but prior to that they hadn't met since the mid-1970s. In the 1975 season opener (Sept. 13), DePauw prevailed in Greencastle, Ind., by a 28-8 score, and the Scots responded two years later, also a season opener (Sept. 17, 1977), with a 31-0 shutout win. The 1977 game featured Wooster sophomore center Blake Moore, who went on to play for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers.

Last Week: On Oct. 25, 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 game by the final count of 38-24 in NCAC play at Granville, Ohio.

Wooster gave up two explosive plays during the first quarter – a 76-yard catch-and-run 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.

In between, Wooster had a nine-play, 68-yard touchdown march, capped by Sean Hackel (Victor, N.Y. / Victor) 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 (Ashland, Ohio / Ashland) interception. Midway through the second quarter, though, Sklenar hit for 38- and 24-yard passing plays to set up a one-yard touchdown toss for a 21-7 advantage.

The Scots bounced back, with help from a fumbled punt return by Denison, and moved inside the 10. However, the drive stalled there and they settled for a Trevor Bowden (Eatonton, Ga. / Gatewood Schools) 20-yard field goal with 1:01 before the half.

The biggest difference in the game may have come next when the Big Red drove 65 yards in just five plays and 28 seconds, capped by a Sklenar 15-yard touchdown pass, resulting in 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.

Denison, 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.

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

A bright spot throughout the game for Wooster was punter Tyler Gerwig (Doylestown, Ohio / Archbishop Hoban), who averaged 44.4 yards on seven punts.

League Leaders: Despite missing significant time due to injury, Wooster senior running back Sean Hackel (Victor, N.Y. / Victor) is on pace to win the conference's rushing title for a second consecutive season, currently at 109.2 yards per game. Other Scots leading the league in various categories are Darrian Owens (Wooster, Ohio / Wooster) in scoring (60 points/8.6 ppg), senior Brandon James (Barberton, Ohio / Barberton) in punt return average (8.9 yards), and senior Mitchell Czerniak (Newton Falls, Ohio / Newton Falls) in tackles (83).