GAMBIER, Ohio– Playing at McBride Field for the first time this season, the Kenyon College football team dropped its home opener Saturday afternoon, falling 35-6 to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The Owls slip to 0-2 on the year, while the Blugolds improve to 2-0
Wisconsin-Eau Claire struck first midway through the opening quarter when Paxton Rothmeier broke free for a 36-yard touchdown to make it 6-0. Kenyon responded a few minutes into the second quarter with one of its biggest plays of the day: junior defensive back
Jackson Belyn scooped up a blocked 31-yard field goal attempt, thanks to Senior
J'Sun Gardner's block. Belyn did not look back, racing 77 yards for a touchdown, pulling the Owls even at 6-6 with 12:18 left in the half.
The Blugolds regained the lead just before halftime as quarterback Hayden Helder connected with Yaach Chuol on a four-yard strike with 15 seconds remaining, sending UW-Eau Claire into the locker room with a 13-6 advantage.
After halftime, Helder struck again through the air, finding Matt Kuczaj for a 54-yard touchdown that extended the margin to 19-6. From there, the visitors controlled the game. Chuol added his second score of the afternoon on a five-yard reception early in the fourth to make it 26-6. On the ensuing possession, the Blugolds tacked on a 20-yard field goal from Reece Perry before sealing the win less than a minute later with a pick-six that capped the scoring at 35-6
While the offense found limited success, the Owls' special teams were on fire to say the least. In addition to Belyn's touchdown return, Kenyon blocked two extra points and turned away multiple scoring chances from the Blugolds.
Kenyon's offense totaled 119 yards with 59 on the ground and 60 through the air. Jordan Benjamin led the running back room, rushing 12 times for 50 yards, including a long of 13. Wideout
Dylan Carlquist paced the receiving corps with four catches for 32 yards.
Defensively,
Dominic Simpson led the way with a team-high 12 tackles, while Gardener chipped in eight stops and two pass breakups.
Benjamin Dutton and
Isaiah Reyes each tallied sacks, with Reyes also forcing a fumble.
Up next, the Owls travel to Depauw University on Saturday, September 20, in Greencastle, Indiana. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
