DePauw Drops Third Straight Tight Game
DePauw set a school single-game record with 45 pass completions in its North Coast Athletic Conference game with Kenyon, but three special teams plays were the difference as the Tigers suffered a 21-19 loss to the Lords.
The Tigers dropped to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the NCAC, while Kenyon improved to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the conference. The loss was DePauw's third straight by four or fewer points.
The Lords reached the board on the opening kickoff as Brett Williams attempted to field Eric Malm's boot at his own 7, but the ball bounced off his chest and Carlo Gagliardo recovered at the Kenyon 10 and scampered 90 yards for the score.
DePauw responded later in the first as Amen Galley's 2-yard run capped an 11-play, 73-yard drive which included Drew Seaman's entrance into the game and an 8-of-8 passing performance. Malm's streak of 26 straight PATs came to an end and the Tigers trailed 7-6.
Kenyon answered as Dan Shannon completed a 53-yard scoring pass to Gagliardo on the fifth play of the next series to make it 14-6 with 20 seconds left in the opening stanza.
Early in the second, Nikko Sansone returned a Kenyon punt 42 yards to the Lords' 21. The Tigers decided to go for it on 4th-and-1, but a false start penalty pushed them back to the 16. Holder Robby Schuler grabbed the high snap on Malm's field goal attempt and tossed the ball downfield where Kenyon's Kolin Sullivan picked it off at the 1.
The Tigers converted a third down and then a fourth in their final series of the half, but Seaman's fourth-dpwn pass to Taylor Wagner was incomplete with 12 seconds left.
Both teams drove into the other's territory in the third, but came away empty on fourth-down plays.
DePauw then embarked on a 16-play series which stalled at the Kenyon 14 early in the fourth and Malm's 31-yard field goal try was wide left.
The Tigers' defense stopped the Lords and DePauw took over on its own 47. Seaman teamed with Cato for 33 yards on the first play and the Tigers drove to the Kenyon 2 where Armani Cato punched it in to cut the lead to 14-12 with 10:18 left. The two-point conversion pass failed.
Kenyon came right back with a 10-play, 61-yard drive as Brett Williams scored on a 7-yard run to push the Lords' lead to 21-12 with 5:54 remaining.
DePauw closed to within two again at 21-19 as Cato scored on a 1-yard run with 3:04 left and Malm booted the PAT.
The Tigers pinned Kenyon at their own 15 on the ensuing kickoff, but the Lords converted a pair of third-down plays and ran out the clock.
Seaman completed 39-of-54 passes for a career-high 322 yards. His 39 completions tied the second most in school history and the Tigers' 45 as a team broke the mark of 41 set against Hope in 2000. Justin Murray was 6 of 13 for 44 yards.
In all, 11 different Tigers caught passes led by Kevin Ude with career highs of nine catches and 79 yards, Bobby Coburn followed with seven catches.
DePauw totaled 419 yards of offense and ran 93 offensive plays. Sansone led the Tigers with 172 all-purpose yards.
Williams paced Kenyon with 127 rushing yards in 29 tries, while Shannon completed 11 of 21 for 151 yards. Nick Gasbarro paced the Lords with four catches.
Jack Quinn led DePauw with 13 tackles followed by Mitch Dwenger with 10. Sullivan led the defense with 18 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble, while Antonio Cataldo had 11 stops and Reed Franklin 10.
DePauw travels to Wooster next Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest against the Fighting Scots, while Kenyon hosts Allegheny.
