Tyler Sinclair

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster used a balanced offensive attack – 243 rushing yards and 296 passing – and three takeaways from its defense and special teams to roll past Hiram College 45-14 during a North Coast Athletic Conference tilt Saturday night on Andrew Turf Field at John P. Papp Stadium.

Wooster (2-4, 1-2 NCAC) gained momentum early on, as its defense turned away Hiram (0-6, 0-4 NCAC) inside the red zone on the Terriers' second series, then the offense went on an 84-yard scoring drive in just seven plays. Six-straight rushes, including a 25-yard burst up the middle by John Battaglia, set up the pass, with Richard Barnes finding Jordan McIntyre in the right flat, and McIntyre sprinting down the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown.

The Scots helped induce turnovers on each of Hiram's next two possessions, as Girard Ogletree-Crawford intercepted a pass and Jake Himmeger recovered a fumble when the Terriers' punter attempted a rush. Wooster's offensive unit took advantage of the second, advancing from the Hiram 42-yard line to the eight over five plays, and then on 4th-and-1, Barnes hit Tyler Sinclair with a quick pass in the center of the end zone for a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. It marked Sinclair's second touchdown in as many receptions this season.

In the second quarter, the Scots made it 21-0 via a 75-yard march, primarily rushing the ball down the field. Nine of the 12 plays, including the last six, were runs, capped by Barnes' five-yard quarterback keeper.

One of the few low points of the half for Wooster occurred on the ensuing kickoff, as Tevin Weaver worked his way up the left sideline untouched for a 94-yard return for a touchdown.

The Terriers' defense followed with a three-and-out, but the momentum quickly went back to the Scots. Dana Obery boomed a 50-yard punt that was muffed by the returner, and Sinclair pounced on the fumble. The next play saw Barnes connect with an open McIntyre in the right side of the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown and 28-7 lead at the 3:03 mark of the half.

Wooster was not done. A three-and-out by the defense allowed the offense to get one more shot, and the Scots took advantage. They went 54 yards in just six plays, and it was Chase Ullman, on 3rd-and-2 at the 19-yard line, taking the handoff, finding a hold in the middle for the first down, and then dragging a couple of defenders with him into the end zone for a 35-7 cushion at the break.

On its second series of the third quarter, Wooster scored its sixth touchdown, again getting sizable chunks of yardage as it took just seven plays to go 69 yards. Ullman finished the drive in similar fashion, this time scoring on a run from 27 yards out to make it 42-7.

The Scots freely substituted the rest of the way, tacking on a Tyler Gerwig 22-yard field goal during the fourth quarter, while their only blemish was another big play as an aggressive defensive play allowed Hiram's Richard Simpson to get free for a 65-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown.

The 539 yards of total offense was a season high for Wooster, and it gained 28 first downs, compared to the Terriers 13 first downs and 259 yards.

Individually, Barnes completed 14-of-22 for 185 yards and the three touchdowns. McIntyre, who scored twice for the second week in a row, had an even 100 yards on four receptions, while the Scots' leading receiver was Joe Stoffer with five for 40 yards.

Battaglia and Ullman paced the running backs, with the former producing 77 yards on 11 carries and the latter 68 on just seven.

Wooster heads to No. 15 ranked Wabash College (5-1, 2-1 NCAC) for a 1 p.m. kickoff.