Wooster Edges Earlham 16-14 on Deflected Field Goal

Dan Grangaard, pictured here connecting on a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter, booted through the game-winner with 1:58 left.

WOOSTER, Ohio – Dan Grangaard (Newark, Ohio / Newark) made a 17-yard field goal, which was deflected by an Earlham College player before making it through the uprights, with 1:58 to play, lifting The College of Wooster to a 16-14 win over the visiting Quakers in North Coast Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at John P. Papp Stadium.

Wooster (4-0, 3-0 NCAC) had blocked a 43-yard field goal attempt by Earlham (0-4, 0-1 NCAC) on the previous possession to maintain a 14-13 deficit. The Fighting Scots' offense took over with 7:53 remaining and steadily marched down field, using the rushing attack of quarterback Austin Holter (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) and running backs Dajaun Bush (Palm Harbor, Fla. / Palm Harbor University) and Robert Flagg (Oldsmar, Fla. / Dunedin). The key play, though, was a 3rd-and-13 conversion when Holter completed a 15-yard pass to Zack Gust (Bannock, Ohio / Union Local) on the right side of the field.

From there, Wooster rushed the ball three times, advancing inside the Quakers' 1-yard line. However, Earlham's defense kept Bush out of the end zone on 3rd-and-goal and the Scots sent out the kicking unit. An Earlham lineman got a hand on Grangaard's game-winner, causing the ball to spin sideways end-over-end, but it still cleared the cross bar with plenty of distance.

The Quakers returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 30, starting their final drive with no timeouts and 1:52 left. Earlham got penalized for holding on the first play and was unable to come close to a first down.

On the initial drive of the game, the Quakers left some points on the field. Their offense drove 53 yards, resulting in a 1st-and-10 from the Wooster 18. Then, a holding penalty pushed Earlham back, followed by three-straight incompletions, two of which were dropped passes, and it had to settle for a 45-yard field goal. The kick had the distance, but it was wide right.

The teams would exchange a series of punts before Matt DeGrand (Stow, Ohio / St. Vincent-St. Mary) intercepted a tipped pass, setting the Scots up on the Quakers' 46-yard line. Wooster gained a pair of first downs, one on an 18-yard rush by Bush, before the drive stalled, and Grangaard converted a 27-yard field goal.

The Scots sustained the momentum with a three-and-out defensively and then the offense put together their longest drive of the day, marching 82 yards. It took just six plays, starting with a 47-yard run by Bush. He would carry the ball four more times, reaching the Earlham 15-yard line, where on 2nd-and-8, Holter found Mike Francescangeli (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) in the back right corner of the end zone.

It remained 10-0 until the Quakers produced a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive late in the first half, capped by a Randy Kerns-to-Chris Owens 24-yard pass.

Earlham's initial two possessions of the third quarter ended in Brian Swan (East Canton, Ohio / East Canton) interceptions. Wooster's offense turned the second into a 25-yard field goal by Grangaard and a 13-7 lead.

Two possessions later, a Scot fumble gave the Quakers the ball around midfield. They took advantage, moving 56 yards in just six plays, with Bryant Foreman rushing it in from three yards out to give his squad a 14-13 lead late in the third quarter.

For the game, Wooster netted 371 yards of total offense, most of it coming on the ground. Bush, starting for the injured Dustin Sheppard (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe), broke out for 173 yards on only 21 carries, while Holter and Flagg added 45 and 27 stripes, respectively. Flagg was busy as a receiver as well with four catches for 32 yards, part of Holter's 15-of-31, 127-yard passing effort.

Randy Kerns keyed Earlham's offense to 283 yards. He completed 23-of-37 attempts through the air for 210 yards and was not sacked. Owens had six receptions for 65 yards, while Ben Marschand paced the rushing attack with 69 yards, but it took him 21 attempts to reach that mark.

Next Saturday, the Scots will be at fellow unbeaten Case Western Reserve University (4-0) in the annual battle for the Baird Brothers Trophy at 1 p.m.