GRANVILLE, Ohio – Cam Layer's five-yard touchdown catch with 38 seconds left in the first half capped off a 10-play, 78-yard drive and helped Denison University (7-3, 6-3 NCAC) seize momentum over Kenyon College heading to the break Saturday afternoon at Deeds-Piper Stadium. The Big Red prevailed by a 30-17 count and ended the Lords' season at 2-8, including a 2-7 mark in conference play.

Jake Bates passed for 173 yards and a touchdown while also gaining 61 rush yards. Blake Calcei added 77 yards on the ground to lead the team while Brian Hunca hauled in four passes for 66 yards. The junior receiver closed the year with 1,096 receiving yards, the fifth-highest single-season total in Kenyon history and most since Harry von Kann collected 1,079 in 2009.

Before the long drive to close the half, the Lords got back into the game after the Big Red jumped out to a 13-0 lead.

After Kenyon forced a punt and got field position on the 50-yard line, the Lords' offense went to work.  Bates found Hunca for a 32-yard catch on second down but the big pass play didn't turn into anything as Szabi Simo connected with a 29-yard field goal four plays later to bring the score to 13-3.

Kenyon inched a little closer on its next offensive possession as sophomore defensive back Curt Williams set up the Lords' attack with a 21-yard punt return to the Denison 38.

On the first play following the return, Calcei ripped off a 10-yard run. Four plays later, Bates found Hunca for a 14-yard gainer. The drive was then capped off from the five-yard line as Bates hit John Clark for the Lords' first touchdown of the game.

Following the touchdown, however, Denison responded. The Big Red started their 10-play drive with a 20-yard pass completion to Hunter Winans. Kenyon had two chances to get off the field on a pair of third downs later in the drive, but Canaan Gebele found Matt Iammarino for 18 yards on third-and-8 and again on third-and-10 for a 28-yard pass to the Kenyon five-yard line to keep the drive alive. Two plays later Layer scored to push Denison's lead to 20-10.

The Big Red opened the second half with a field goal to go up two scores again (23-10), but the Lords appeared ready to cut into the deficit again.

Bates and the offense marched 78 yards all the way to the Denison two-yard line before a gut-wrenching ending. With Bates hurried by Big Red defender Zach Pewitt, he threw the ball to tight end Greg McIntosh, but the senior couldn't bring the pass in on fourth down ending Kenyon's long drive.

Two possessions later, Kenyon found itself inside the Denison five-yard line again. But another fourth-down pass fell incomplete and kept the score at 23-10 Big Red with just under 11 minutes remaining.

Denison closed the door on the next possession as they marched 95 yards in 3:32 and scored on Charlie Mueller's 20-yard touchdown catch.

Calcei delivered the Lords' final touchdown of the game on the next series which brought the tally to 30-17.