GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College football team kicked off its 2024 campaign by hosting the Bluffton University Beavers, and the Owls compiled a complete performance to clinch a season-opening victory. The Beavers landed the first blow, but Kenyon controlled the game the rest of the way as the Owls offense, defense, and special teams combined to give the home team a 13-6 win on McBride Field.

The meeting marked the third straight season that the Owls and Beavers have opened the year against one another, and Kenyon avenged last season's loss to win for the second time over the three matchups, including two wins in Gambier. The Owls set the tone early in this one as the defensive battle began with Kenyon forcing a turnover on Bluffton's first possession. 

Senior captain Andy Canonico delivered the hit that jarred the ball loose, and his fellow All-NCAC Second Team honoree from last season, Dominic Simpson, a sophomore captain, dove down to recover the fumble and give the Owls the ball. Simpson, last season's leading tackler, finished with a game-high nine tackles, while Canonico secured six tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss.

After All-NCAC Third Team punter Park Penrod pinned Bluffton at the one-yard line, the Beavers bounced back with an 18-play, 99-yard touchdown drive that put the visitors on the board first. However, the touchdown marked the last time that Kenyon's defense conceded any points, as the extra point was missed.

Following the early score, the Owls held the Beavers scoreless for the remaining 49 minutes of action and allowed just 201 yards of total offense over 71 plays, an average of 2.8 yards per play. In addition to keeping Bluffton off the board, the Owls defense also put the ball back in the hands of their offense by forcing four turnovers and holding the Beavers to a 4-for-14 mark on third-down conversions.

An interception by Jackson McCullough set up Kenyon's first score, a 25-yard field goal from Tyler Bell. The pick-and-kick recipe immediately worked for Kenyon again, as Jackson Belyn picked off a pass on Bluffton's next drive and Bell booted an impressive 41-yard field goal that matched the sophomore's career-long and tied the score at 6-6.

Later in the half, Penrod's passing put the Owls ahead as the senior quarterback led the team's two-minute offense down the field with six straight pass plays. Five of the plays resulted in big yardage, with four long completions and one 15-yard roughing the passer penalty. Dylan Carlquist hauled in two catches for 40 yards on the drive, and senior David Livingston caught his first career touchdown, a 14-yard reception, to give Kenyon the lead heading into the locker room.

Carlquist led Kenyon with six catches and racked up a game-high 93 receiving yards, tying the junior's career-high in catches and marking his third career game with 90-plus receiving yards. Penrod finished with 179 passing yards and a touchdown, and he led the team with 45 rushing yards, just ahead of senior Drake Lewis's 43. 

The Owls were aided by a missed Bluffton field goal in the third quarter, but the defense continued to shine in the second half, shutting down the Beavers comeback bids. On the last two Bluffton drives of the game, Kenyon added another interception, this time snagged by first-year Colin Tracey Jr., before senior Andy Melian all but sealed the victory with a nine-yard sack on the first play of Bluffton's unsuccessful final possession.

Kenyon has to wait a couple of weeks until the next time the team gets to play in front of its home fans. The Owls will head north to face Kalamazoo College next weekend on Saturday, September 14, at 1 p.m. before opening North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) play at nearby Denison University at 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 21.