Tiger football opens with win over Sewanee

Host DePauw scored on five straight possessions and notched a 31-13 win over Sewanee in the season opener for both schools on Nick Mourouzis Field at Blackstock Stadium.

Sewanee took the opening kickoff and drove to the DePauw 21, but DePauw safety Adam Folta intercepted Cody Daniel at the 3 and returned it to the 38.

The hosts were unable to pick up a first down, but Paul Simon boomed a 55-yard punt that the coverage team downed at the Sewanee 1, DePauw's defense stopped the guests at their own 17 and Jason Kirchhoff returned a punt 15 yards to the Sewanee 37 which set up DePauw's first score.

DePauw quarterback Matt Hunt completed a 13-yard pass play to D.J. Steward before Amen Galley carried three straight times for 13 yards to the Sewanee 11.

Connor Jeffers picked up seven on a rush before Galley followed with a pair of 2-yard runs for the game's first score with 51 seconds left in the quarter.

Sewanee answered with a 12-play, 87-yard drive that included three third-down conversions and was capped by Daniel's 32-yard pass to Steven Hearn with 9:17 remaining in the second.

Jeffers returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the DePauw 49 and the Tigers converted a third-and-six with Hunt teaming with tight end Jay D. Robinson for a 35-yard gain to the Sewanee 12. Three plays later, Hunt connected with Zachary Alleman on a 13-yard scoring pass to make it 14-7 with 6:29 left in the half.

Sewanee kept its next drive alive as Daniel converted with a fourth-down keeper, but two plays later DePauw linebacker Thomas Gray forced Andy Moots to fumble with linebacker Nick Freund recovering at the Sewanee 42.

DePauw used the clock and drove to the Sewanee 3, but Galley was tackled for a 3-yard loss and Marko Adams came on to boot a 23-yard field goal with 4.5 seconds left in the half to push the margin to 17-7.

On DePauw's initial drive of the second half, Hunt made it 24-7 as he burst through the line and outran the Sewanee defenders for a 61-yard score with 12:19 left in the third. Kirchhoff's 1-yard run with 4:45 remaining in the third wrapped up a 12-play, 64-yard series.

Sewanee's final points of the contest came on its next possession with Daniel scoring on a 1-yard run. The series included Daniel's 44-yard pass to Powers Spencer and a 22-yard toss to Charlie Powell.

Sewanee outgained DePauw, 359-313, and held a 19-18 edge in first downs, but the hosts converted 9 of 13 third downs, didn't commit a turnover and capitalized on all four red-zone chances.

Hunt led DePauw with 88 rushing yards, while Galley followed with 37 as the Tigers averaged 5.1 yards per carry.

Hunt completed 11 of 19 passes for 128 yards and one score with four going to Robinson for 57 yards.

Daniel completed 8 of 14 for 155 yards and one score with Spencer, Hearn and Powell each hauling in three.

Will Longthorne led DePauw with 12 tackles, while Gray added nine and Adam Folta eight along with the interception.

Brandon Campbell and Tony Dykes each totaled eight tackles for Sewanee and combined for four tackles for loss.

DePauw opens North Coast Athletic Conference play on Satuurday, Sept. 20, with a 6 p.m. contest at Wittenberg. Sewanee hosts Washington and Lee next Saturday.