GAMBIER, Ohio -- Two early turnovers put the Kenyon College football team in a hole and gave the Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops all the momentum they needed to ring up a 41-14 North Coast Athletic Conference win over the host Owls on Saturday at McBride Field.

Ohio Wesleyan (1-2, 1-0 NCAC) opened the game with a long drive that resulted in a 29-yard field goal. When Kenyon started its first drive, it stalled at midfield after Drew Thornton picked off a Ryan O'Leary pass intended for Finn Murray. Three plays later, the Battling Bishops saw quarterback Kaden Buza connect with running back Jackson Gifford for a 12-yard touchdown play at a 10-0 Ohio Wesleyan.

The Battling Bishops scored on their next possession, too. Buza ran it in from eight yards out to increase the lead to 17-0. Another interception by Ohio Wesleyan, at the end of the first quarter, led to another field goal and a 20-0 advantage for the visiting team.

Two more Ohio Wesleyan touchdowns were recorded before halftime and the Owls were in a 34-0 hole.

Showing some fight to open the second half of play, Kenyon bounced back with a 10-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown run from Jordon Benjamin. Consecutive long passes from O'Leary to Andrew Schnarre and Murray set the tone for the drive.

From there, the two teams traded one final touchdown each. Ohio Wesleyan got its final score in the third quarter on a 74-yard touchdown pass from Zack Leonard to Josh Hurst. Kenyon then rang up its final score in the fourth quarter on a 20-yard touchdown strike from O'Leary to Zachary Kim.

O'Leary finished the game 19-of-34 for 232 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. For Ohio Wesleyan, Buza was 6-of-14 from 108 yards and three touchdowns.

In addition to a plus-three turnover margin, the Battling Bishops won the game on the ground. Ohio Wesleyan backs gained 180 yards on 42 attempts, while Kenyon was held to 64 yards on 37 attempts.

Individually, Benjamin rushed 10 times for 51 yards and the third-quarter touchdown for the Owls. Through the air, it was Murray who led Kenyon with 105 receiving yards on eight catches. Kim finished with 62 yards on three catches and Schnarre had 37 yards on five catches.

Kenyon (1-3, 0-2 NCAC) does not play next weekend and will next face Oberlin College on the road Saturday, October 8.