TIFFIN – On Senior Day, the Heidelberg University football team moved back over .500 with a 45-30 victory over Capital University on Saturday. Against the porous Capital defense, the Heidelberg offense averaged a season-high 8.8 yards per play – and against the run-happy triple-option Capital offense, Heidelberg hauled in two interceptions.
Prior to the contest, the Student Princes honored its 22 seniors with an on field ceremony.
The win vaulted Heidelberg to 5-4 overall and 5-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Capital fell to 2-7 overall, 2-6 in conference play.
KEY STATS
Heidelberg racked up 512 yards of total offense – 284 in the air, 228 on the ground on 58 plays. By comparison, Capital amassed 437 yards of offense in 83 plays – 307 rushing and 130 passing.
Tailback Bryan Lacey gained 183 yards rushing on 23 carries to bring his season total to 1091 yards.
Joey Wooley and Scott Gwisdalla each had interceptions. Prior to the game, Capital had not thrown a pick all season.
FIRST QUARTER
After Capital punted on its first possession, a steady diet of Lacey helped the Tricolor drive 84 yards for a touchdown. The seven-play drive was capped by a three-yard plunge by Lacey. Stephen Smith's PAT made it 7-0.
On the next possession, the Crusaders took 15 plays to move 75 yards for a touchdown. Brent Walton found the end zone from a yard out. The extra point was blocked by Mario Petit-Frere.
SECOND QUARTER
Tyler Stoyle found Lashaun Moore for a seven-yard touchdown – the first of Moore's career. The score came at the end of a six-play 65-yard drive.
The next Capital possession, which was aided by two 15-yard personal foul penalties against the Student Princes, resulted in a 39-yard field goal by Jack Johns.
Leading 14-9, Heidelberg quickly answered. Lacey scored his second touchdown of the game on a 41-yard rush.
With less than a minute to play, the Berg added seven more thanks to a seven-yard scramble by Stoyle. After Smith's PAT, Heidelberg led 28-9.
The half was capped by a leaping interception by Gwisdalla, his second of the season.
THIRD QUARTER
The lone points of the quarter came on another touchdown by Walton, who broke the Capital career rushing record early in the game. Walton's two-yard dive and Johns' extra point cut the HU lead to 28-16. Walton finished with 130 yards in his first game back from an injury.
FOURTH QUARTER
Heidelberg made it a three-score game early in the final quarter with a 21-yard chip shot field goal by Smith.
Following a big stop by Billy Byrne and Chandler Hoover on 4th-and-1 from the Capital 41, Stoyle found Demetrius Magee twice – once for 35 yards and the other for a five-yard touchdown. HU held a comfortable 38-16 lead.
On Capital's next drive, Nick Iske threw a long pass into the end zone that Gwisdalla and CAP's Jake Skelton dove for. After deliberating for a moment, the officials gave the catch – and 24-yard touchdown – to Skelton.
The Crusaders regained possession immediately with a perfectly executed onside kick recovered by Skelton. Seven plays later, Iske connected with Wally Brewer for a 19-yard score, cutting the Heidelberg lead down to 38-30.
Heidelberg recovered the next onside kick. Rather than run the ball to grind out the clock, Stoyle hit Tony Morris on a post pattern for 36 yards on the first play. Two plays later, Jose Sanchez ran around the left side and into the end zone from 11 yards out. It was the first touchdown for the senior, third of his career.
Forced to abandon the run late, Iske threw a pick to another leaping Student Prince. Wooley's interception – the first career INT for the senior – sealed the Crusaders fate.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Stoyle finished with 284 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-24 passing. Moore and Magee each had a touchdown and 72 yards receiving.
Hoover finished with a career-high 11 tackles. Clay Staib also had 11 tackles on the afternoon. Byrne and Ethan Rodgers, both seniors, had career highs with eight and nine tackles, respectively.
UP NEXT
The season concludes at Baldwin Wallace University (6-3, 5-3) next Saturday. Heidelberg has won the last three meetings with the Yellow Jackets. The last time the teams met in Berea, Cartel Brooks set an NCAA-All Divisions record with 465 yards rushing.