Tiger offense mauls Raven defense in home opener

The DePauw Tigers took the opening kickoff to the house and never looked back, piling up 551 yards of offense en route to a 68-19 victory over the visiting Anderson University Ravens at Blackstock Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Caden Whitehead set the tone right off the bat, racing 92 yards through the Ravens’ coverage team to make it 7-0 just 14 seconds in. The Tigers’ first-team defense was smothering, not allowing Anderson to get any momentum. On the ensuing possession. Nathan McCahill found Gabe Quigley all alone and raced 43 yards for their second score.

A few minutes later the tandem of McCahill and Quigley hooked up again, this time from 33 yards out to put them up three scores early. The Tiger defense became opportunistic as Tommy Ryan jumped on a loose ball to put them right back in scoring position. They would settle for a 26-yard Matthew Berry field goal, making it 24-0, still in the first quarter.

They kept the momentum rolling in the second. McCahill this time found Jaylon Smith on a 25-yard strike to increase the margin. The defense created another turnover from Tommy Ryan again, this time with an interception. A few minutes later McCahill threw his fourth touchdown of the day, finding tight end Will Kaster and the rout was on. The Tigers would add one more score before the half, this time on the ground, as Seth Mencer capped off a drive with a three-yard plunge. The Tigers in total control leading 44-0 at the break.

As DePauw went to the reserves, the Ravens got some things going in the third. Johnell Wortham dashed 75 yards around the right side for their first score. DePauw added another Berry field goal from 37 yards away. Backup quarterback Jack Kazmierczak hit Jackson Corbett on a nine-yard pitch and catch to make 54-6 DePauw.

Anderson picked up two more scores. One on a one-yard plunge by quarterback Roosevelt Norfleet and another when Matthew Shams stepped in front of a pass to the flat and took it 66 yards for the pick six. That would be all the Ravens could muster though. DePauw added a one-yard run from Chandler Schubert and a touchdown pass from Kazmierczak to Colin Grace to cap off the impressive day as the Tigers again look to be a force in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

McCahill finished the day 16 of 19 for 249 yards with four touchdowns, 155 of those yards to Quigley. Ethan Lowry with a nice day on defense with two sacks. The conference season begins next Saturday at home as DePauw faces the Hiram Terriers.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

14:46 DPU Whitehead 92 yd kickoff return (Sullivan kick)

10:30 DPU Quigley 57 yd pass from McCahill (Berry kick)

05:54 DPU Quigley 33 yd pass from McCahill (Sullivan kick)

03:41 DPU Berry 26 yd FG

2nd Quarter

14:26 DPU Smith 25 yd pass from McCahill (Kick failed)

09:26 DPU Kaster 4 yd pass from McCahill (Berry kick)

01:17 DPU Mencer 12 yd run (Sullivan kick)

3rd Quarter

14:40 AND Wortham 75 yd run (kick blocked)

10:20 DPU Berry 37 yd FG

07:56 DPU Corbett 9 yd pass from Kazmierczak (Sullivan kick)

06:29 AND Norfleet 1 yd run (Cuenca kick)

04:26 AND Shams 66 yd interception return (kick missed)

01:05 DPU Schubert 1 yd run (Berry kick)

4th Quarter

12:24 DPU Grace 30 pass from Kazmierczak (Duarte kick)

Team Stats

Individual Leaders

Rushing - (D) Baumgartner 8-50, Mencer 5-41, Zdobylak 2-29, VanBooven 2-28; (A) Wortham 9-84, Holifield 6-30, Taylor 2-4

Passing - (D) McCahill 16-19-249-4-0, Kazmierczak 8-13-90-2-1; (A) Norfleet 10-16-140-0-0, Meek 7-10-33-0-1

Receiving - (D) Quigley 6-55, Smith 5-52, Heldebrand 3-38, Ballentine 3-28; (A) Holguin 8-93, Johnson 5-50, Grays 2-32, Wortham 1-7