DePauw routs Allegheny, goes to 5-1 on year

MEADVILLE, Pa. — DePauw University scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions on the way to a 69-21 North Coast Athletic Conference win at Allegheny. The Tigers moved to 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the NCAC, while the Gators dropped to 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the conference.

The Tigers needed just three plays to take the lead for good as Jason Kirchhoff scored on a 20-yard run with 12:06 left in the first quarter. That lead reached 21-0 with five minutes remaining in the quarter on a pair of Matt Hunt-to-Chase Sadler touchdown passes.

Allegheny countered with Logan Lee’s 74-yard pass to Alex Victor, but Kirchhoff followed with a 62-yard scamper on the first play after the ensuing kickoff and Nick Delgado added a 17-yard scoring run to make it 35-7 after one quarter.

Ramon Lopez’s 2-yard run early in the second extended the lead to 42-7 before Logan and Victor teamed for an 86-yard scoring play on the first play after DePauw’s kickoff to make it 42-14.

Hunt and Sadler connected again from 17 yards out to give the Tigers a 48-14 halftime advantage. DePauw’s 35 points in the first quarter and its 48 at halftime were both school records.

DePauw wrapped up its scoring in the third when Sadler broke the school’s single-game record with his fourth touchdown reception as Hunt connected with him for a 76-yard score.

Jake Lasky added touchdown runs of 27 and six yards to push the lead to 69-21. The Gators added another long pass play for their final points with Jon Nigro hitting Francisco Guzman for a 63-yard score.

DePauw’s 69 points were the most since the Tigers put up 74 against Franklin in 1939, while the 661 total yards ranked second in school history behind the 665-yard effort against Anderson in 2009. DePauw’s 485 rushing yards marked the third-best single-game preformance in school history.

Hunt completed 10-of-12 passes for 176 yards and four touchdowns. Sadler led the Tigers with four catches and all four went for scores. Of Sadler’s 11 career catches, six have resulted in touchdowns.

Kirchhoff and Demarco Henry each topped the 100-yard rushing plateau with career highs of 171 and 102 yards, respectively. Delgado also notched a career-best with 84 yards on just five carries.

Lee completed 13-of-26 passes for Allegheny for 288 yards, but was picked off three times.

Victor caught seven for 219 yards.

Brendan Connelly led the DePauw defense with six tackles and Will Longthorne added five. Longthorne recorded a pair of interceptions, while Brooks Hepp collected his fourth of the season. Nate Orrison led the defense with a pair of sacks.

Tristan Rhoades paced Allegheny with nine tackles, while Juwan Campbell added six.

DePauw outgained Allegheny, 661-376 and held a 26-10 edge in first downs. The Tigers’ defense limited the Gators to just 11 rushing yards in 19 attempts, while the offense avraged 9.4 yards per play.

The Tigers return to Blackstock Stadium to host Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday, October 22, in a 1 p.m. North Coast Athletic Conference game.