WOOSTER, Ohio – Sophomore Kobe Nadu electrified The College of Wooster football team with a rare "pick-six" fumble return, the Fighting Scots scored in a big way on the ground and through the air, and the Black and Gold got the stop it needed late to hold off visiting Geneva College 42-35 on Saturday evening at John P. Papp Stadium.
The third quarter was where the season lid-lifter's wildness happened, and it started when Nadu snatched Amos Luptak's pitch attempt out of the air. The Scots' strong safety ran the fumble recovery back 46 yards, and junior Lake Barrett's extra point upped Wooster's lead to 28-14 at the 10:28 mark. Of note, Nadu's fumble return for a touchdown marked a first by a Scot on an opponent's rushing play since Jeff Geffert's 33-yard runback at Case Western Reserve University in 2007.
On the ensuing kickoff, first-year Ethan Dalton pried the ball out of Hilton McClain Jr.'s hands, and sophomore Dawson Arnold emerged with the pigskin. The takeaway was short lived, as Wooster (1-0) quarterback Mateo Renteria's pass was picked off by Dave Hines at the Golden Tornadoes' (0-1) 5-yard line, marking the third turnover in as many plays.
Later in the third, Luptak was off the mark on his pitch to Gino Mavero, and sophomore Domenic DeMuth charged through to get the fumble recovery at Geneva's 36-yard line with 2:06 remaining. Renteria redeemed himself with a 29-yard touchdown strike to junior EJ Humphries on a fourth-and-3 play that opened the fourth quarter. That score bumped Wooster's lead to 35-21 after Barrett's extra point.
Geneva didn't go quietly with Mavero scoring from 13 yards out and Kazier Brandt catching a 20-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Sandwiched in between those was a 56-yard touchdown burst from senior Troy Baughman, as Wooster took a 42-28 lead with 7:05 to go.
Geneva regained possession on its 41-yard line with 3:57 remaining and drove the ball to Wooster's 31-yard line. Faced with a fourth-and-6 play, Luptak looked to leading target Peyton Schell. However, junior Dorion Talley snuffed the play out, closed in just in time to break up the pass, and secured the victory in the process.
Earlier in the game, Wooster marched right down the field on the season's opening possession, thanks to a key 10-yard Renteria-to-first-year Bryant Douglas II completion on fourth-and-5, that also had a 15-yard personal foul penalty tacked onto the end. Later, Renteria completed a 3-yard touchdown strike to senior tight end Cole Hissong, which capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Noteworthy, the Renteria-to-Hissong score marked the first time Wooster's scored a touchdown on its first drive of the year since 2015.
Junior Andrew Yanssens scored from a yard out and Douglas II added a 42-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. Defensively, senior Dylan Carr headlined the efforts by stopping Tyler Lippiatt a yard shy of the marker on a fourth-and-2 play from near midfield.
Renteria completed 19-of-29 passes for 277 yards and three scores. He was nearly unstoppable in the opening half, going 16-of-19 for 223 yards and two scores. Baughman toted the ball 12 times for 65 yards, and he had a team-high five receptions that went for 36 stripes. Sophomore Mitchell Heilman led Wooster with 59 receiving yards, while Douglas II and Humphries both finished north of 50 stripes.
DeMuth and senior Angelo Petracci tallied 10 tackles each, and sophomore Neil Clayton added eight. DeMuth had two of Wooster's seven tackles for loss and one of the Scots' two sacks.
Geneva rushed for 265 yards. Lippiatt bullied his way for 89 yards on 22 touches as the dive back, while Luptak carried the ball 30 times for 77 yards and a score. Luptak went 6-of-14 for 110 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Nicolas Ottaviani and Kaden Romero finished with seven tackles apiece. McClain Jr. caused havoc all night long with seven kickoff returns for 250 yards.
Geneva outgained Wooster 375-348, and the Golden Tornadoes had 29 first downs to the Scots' 15. Geneva was 6-for-8 on fourth down, while Wooster won the turnover battle 3-1.
Next, Wooster opens North Coast Athletic Conference play with a 1 p.m. home game against Kenyon College (0-1) on Saturday, September 11.