Greencastle, Ind. - DePauw totaled 623 yards of offense and scored on six straight possessions on the way to a 51-14 North Coast Athletic Conference win over visiting Wooster. The Tigers, ranked 18th in the latest coaches' poll and 21st by D3football.com improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the NCAC, while the Fighting Scots dropped to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Carson Johnson's 34-yard punt return to the Wooster 17 set up the Tigers' first score as Caden Whitehead scored on a 2-yard run with 8:33 left in the opening period.
Joey Roland's interception on the second play of Wooster's next possession gave the Tigers the ball at the Wooster 40. Nine plays later Nathan McCahill connected with Jaylon Smith for an 8-yard score.
After a defensive three-and-out was capped by Jake Comer's 9-yard sack, DePauw used 10 plays to cover 67 yards with McCahill 4-yard toss to Blake Woodard pushing the Tigers' lead to 20-0 with 10:46 left in the second .
Wooster drove to the DePauw 5 on its next series before the drive stalled. Sebestyen Balassy's 22-yard field goal was off the mark.
The Tigers then needed just four plays to cover 80 yards as McCahill and Robby Ballentine teamed for a 37-yard score to make it 27-0 with 5:16 remaining in the half.
Wooster was forced to punt on its next drive and DePauw started at its own 20 with 1:46 left in the half. The Tigers drove to the Wooster 5, but a sack on third down by Wooster's Braydon Hudson forced DePauw to attempt a field goal. Matthew Berry's 36-yard field goal as time expired extended the Tigers' lead to 30-0.
After starting on its own 6 to begin the second half, the Tigers needed just two plays to reach paydirt as Whitehead rush for 20 yards and McCahill found Frankie Ricciardi for a 74-yard score.
Wooster's first points came with 5:58 left in the third as Chanden Lee and Jordan Lewis teamed for a 66-yard score.
DePauw turned the ball over on downs at the Wooster 25 and the Fighting Scots responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in Lee's 21-yard scoring pass to Brazos Gadler.
The Tigers scored on each of its next two drives with McCahill connecting with Lleyton Lukowski for a 26-yard score before Lukowski scored on an 8-yard pass from Scott Ballentine.
McCahill completed 25-of-34 passes for a career-high 383 yards and five touchdowns. Smith and Ballentine each caught nine for 130 and 105 yards, respectively. Ricciardi's two catches totaled 100 yards. Whitehead rushed for 117 yards in 12 carries.
Lee completed 12-of-37 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Gadler caught five for 130 yards. Shakir Perkins rushed for 34 yards on six carries.
Luke Marsh and Jake Comer each totaled seven tackles, while Comer and Roland had one sack each. Christian Troupe had four of DePauw's nine pass breakups and Roland had three hurries.
Wyatt Wilkie led Wooster with eight tackles.
The Tigers outgained the Fighting Scots, 623-284, including 436-256 through the air. DePauw held Wooster to just 28 rushing yards and held a 29-15 edge in first downs.
DePauw hosts Oberlin on Saturday, Sept. 28, in a Noon NCAC contest.
NOTES
- The win extended DePauw's program regular season win streak to 17 and its NCAC string to 13 straight
- With Jaylon Smith, Robby Ballentine and Frankie Ricciardi each totaling at least 100 receiving yards it marked the first time in program history that three Tigers have done so in the same game
- With five touchdown passes, Nathan McCahill pushed his career total to 53 which ranks fourth in program history
- DePauw's 623 yards of offense ranks eighth in program history and the 436 passing yards are fifth