HIRAM, Ohio – Hiram College senior quarterback Domenic Paolo threw for 271 yards and five touchdowns Saturday as the host Terriers handed the Kenyon College Lords their first loss of the season. Paolo's performance was the catalyst for a Hiram offense that posted 528 yards and cruised to a 45-7 conference win.

The Terriers (1-1, 1-0 NCAC) did most of their damage in the second half as they ran away with the game by outscoring Kenyon 28-0.

Kenyon (2-1, 1-1 NCAC) had a difficult time getting anything started against the Terriers defense. The Lords were held to just 261 yards of total offense. They managed just 13 first downs and went 3-for-15 on third-down conversions.

Freshman quarterback Thomas Merkle, who threw for more than 300 yards in his first two games in a Kenyon uniform, went 20-of-36 for 251 yards and a touchdown. His stat line also included his first two interceptions of the year.

Trailing 7-0 early, the Lords evened up the score on an 81-yard pass play from Merkle to Brian Hunca. That play occurred at the 8:32 mark of the first quarter and was the first and last time Kenyon would score.

Hiram opened the second quarter of play with a 32-yard field goal. Eleven minutes later, the Lords lined up for a 29-yard field goal, but could not convert.

On the Terriers' final possession of the half, they drove 80 yards in eight plays and scored on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Paolo to David Perkins. That put Hiram ahead 17-7 at the mid-way point.

The ten-point difference was not insurmountable, but Kenyon would not draw any closer. Hiram pieced together three consecutive touchdown drives to open the second half of play. Paolo threw two touchdown passes to Akili Tate and one to Joshua Philander as the Terriers sprinted to a 38-7 advantage.

Philander finished the game with eight catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Tate tallied five catches, 54 yards and two touchdowns, while Perkins latched on to four passes for 46 yards and one score.

The Lords offense had just six possessions in the second half. Two of those possessions ended with a turnover on downs, two ended in punts, one was cut short by an interception and the final buzzer killed the team's last drive.

Hunca had another big day for the Lords. The senior receiver grabbed eight passes for 154 yards and that lone Kenyon touchdown. Classmate Jibri McLean added four catches for 40 yards and Ian Bell had three receptions for 16 yards.

Arguably, the key to the game was Hiram's run defense. The Terriers stuffed Kenyon at the line, holding the Lords to a total of just 10 yards on 28 carries—an average of 0.4 yards per carry. Freshman running back Nat Henry, filling in for injured starter Rob Meagher, led Kenyon with 45 rushing yards on 19 carries. No other Kenyon back managed positive yardage, including Merkle, who was sacked three times for a combined loss of 24 yards.

On the other side of the field, Hiram rushed for 257 yards on 43 carries. Junior Danny Robinson led the way with 78 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

Kenyon will head back home and start preparations for its next game, which will be Saturday at McBride Field against Allegheny College. The Gators are 0-3 and will head to Gambier after Saturday's 59-7 loss to Wabash College.