GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Kenyon College football team fell 21-14 to host Denison University on Saturday afternoon at Deeds Field-Piper Stadium, as the Big Red scored 15 unanswered points in the third quarter to overcome a halftime deficit and secure the North Coast Athletic Conference victory.
The Owls (2-5, 1-5 NCAC) held a 14-6 advantage at halftime after quarterback
Drew Morgan threw touchdown passes to
Tyler Gladden and
Max Heis. However, Denison (5-2, 5-1 NCAC) answered with two third-quarter touchdowns and kept Kenyon off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest.
Kenyon opened the scoring late in the first quarter. After a 42-yard completion from Morgan to Heis moved the Owls deep into Denison territory,
Charlie Runco helped advance the drive before Morgan connected with Gladden for an eight-yard touchdown with 42 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Bronson Maccini added the extra point to give Kenyon a 7-0 lead.
The Big Red responded early in the second quarter, capping a 60-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run by Kade Koroneos. Denison's extra-point attempt was blocked, leaving Kenyon ahead 7-6.
Kenyon regained control with 5:47 remaining in the first half. Following a Denison fumble, the Owls took over in Big Red territory and capitalized on the opportunity. Morgan found Heis for an 11-yard touchdown pass, and Maccini's successful extra point extended the Kenyon advantage to 14-6.
Denison turned the game around after halftime. Brian Rager scored on a two-yard run with 10:29 remaining in the third quarter, and the Big Red converted a two-point attempt to even the score at 14-14.
Less than five minutes later, Rager connected with AJ Winders for a 31-yard touchdown pass. The extra point put Denison in front 21-14, completing the game's scoring.
The Kenyon defense recorded three sacks, including one apiece from
Matthew Ehrenreich,
Isaiah Reyes and
Michael Kerr.
Sam Finnerty led the Owls with 13 total tackles, while
Andrew Pohlman added 10 stops.
Tanner Smith recovered a fumble for Kenyon, which also forced two fumbles during the contest.
Offensively, Morgan completed seven of 13 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Heis led the receiving corps with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Gladden added two receptions for 15 yards and a score. Runco paced the ground game with 53 yards on 18 carries.
Denison finished with 345 yards of total offense, compared to 151 for Kenyon, and held a substantial advantage in time of possession. The Big Red controlled the ball for 40 minutes and 49 seconds, while the Owls possessed it for 19:11.
The Owls will look to bounce back on Saturday, October 31, when they host Oberlin College at McBride Field.
