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Kenyon College Athletics

Finn Murray
Sejin Kim
26
Bluffton BLFF 0-1
33
Winner Kenyon College KENF 1-0
Bluffton BLFF
0-1
26
Final
33
Kenyon College KENF
1-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
BLFF Bluffton 7 9 3 7 26
KENF Kenyon College 13 13 0 7 33

Game Recap: Football |

Receiving corps shines in Kenyon win over Bluffton

GAMBIER, Ohio -- A trio of Kenyon College receivers kicked off the Owls era Saturday with a stellar season-opening performance that carried the home team to an exciting 33-26 victory over the visiting Bluffton University Beavers.

Senior Finn Murray led the Kenyon charge with eight catches for 106 yards and two amazing touchdowns grabs, including one that sealed the win with three minutes remaining in the game. Sophomore Zachary Kim added six catches for 88 yards and senior Andrew Schnarre hauled in three balls for 77 yards.

Behind all those passes was senior quarterback Ryan O'Leary, who went 22-of-37 for 302 yards and two scoring strikes. It was O'Leary's feet, however, that were responsible for the first score of the game, as he scrambled for a 35-yard run that gave the Owls an early 7-0 lead.

Bluffton answered on its next possession when Maalik Tucker broke loose for a 50-yard touchdown run. After that, Kenyon took control with three more scoring drives.

Before the first quarter came to a close O'Leary and Murray hooked up on a seven-yard touchdown pass during a fourth-and-five situation. Murray hauled in the pass with one hand in the back right corner of the endzone.

That drive covered 12 plays and 70 yards. The next time the Owls got the ball, they went 73 yards in 10 plays, the last of which was a two-yard touchdown run from Drake Lewis, who put Kenyon ahead 20-7.

A Bluffton fumble forced by Cole Garrison and recovered by J'Sun Gardner led to the next Kenyon drive. This time it was a short, four-play, 36-yard drive that ended with a Jack Provenza one-yard scoring run and a 26-6 Owls' advantage.

Before halftime, Bluffton pulled itself back in the game by scoring twice. The Beavers capitalized on a bad snap during a Kenyon punt attempt. The ball was eventually fumbled out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety. When Bluffton got the ball back, it took only two plays to register a touchdown, bringing the halftime score to 26-16.

Kenyon was held scoreless in the third quarter and the Beavers crept a little closer, pulling with seven points, at 26-19, after Jake Baumgartner converted a 37-yard Bluffton field goal.

With just a touchdown separating them, the teams went back and forth without much luck on offense. It wasn't until the 6:54 mark of the fourth quarter that Kenyon began constructing the game-winning drive. Four short run plays surrounded a 29-yard pass from O'Leary to Murray. Then, facing a fourth-and-11th at the Bluffton 23-yard line, the Owls decided to go for it. O'Leary again connected with Murray, this time down the left side. Murray turned around at the goal line and made the leaping catch with a Bluffton defender draped all over him.

The Beavers managed to match that final Kenyon score, but their ensuing onside kick was recovered by Kim for a Kenyon team that just ran out the remaining seconds on the clock.
 
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