The Olivet Nazarene University football team played host to the No. 13 Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats at Ward Field. The Tigers hung tough but ultimately fell to the Wildcats 34-26.
The game got out to a relatively slow start. The Wildcats struck first with a 22-yard field goal, having to settle for three after the Tigers stuffed them on three plays inside the 10-yard line.
The score would remain the same for nearly 15 minutes after five-consecutive empty drives. Indiana Wesleyan broke the drought with 14-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead to 10-0.
Later in the second quarter, ONU quarterback Cameron Crouch brought the Tiger offense to life by connecting with Ryan Morrison-Gravenberg for 20 yards and followed it up with a 36-yard completion to Brian Jenkins to get them inside the five-yard line. Crouch capped the drive off with a designed QB run, punching it in from one-yard out to cut the Wildcat lead to three.
Indiana Wesleyan later closed out the first-half with another touchdown pass to send the Tigers to the locker room facing a 10-point deficit.
Halftime: Indiana Wesleyan 17, Olivet Nazarene 7
The Wildcats opened the second-half scoring by connecting on a field goal from 37 yards out. The Tigers fired back on the following drive, once again with the deep ball. After Andrew Cloy hauled one in for an 18-yard pickup, the sure-handed Jenkins came down with a spectacular 31-yard grab. Crouch then fired a strike to Morrison-Gravenberg to make it a one-possession game.
This is the closest the Tigers would get, however, as the Wildcats would punch another one in and succeed on a two point conversion to make it 28-14.
The Tigers manufactured an excellent drive to start the fourth quarter, marching down the field on 10 plays to get inside the redzone. However, disaster struck when Crouch threw an errant pass into the endzone that was intercepted.
ONU's defense forced a punt on the ensuing drive, which allowed the offense to come back on the field and put together another solid drive. This drive would find it's way to the endzone in the hands of Tyler Isaacson.
Indiana Wesleyan added another touchdown the following drive. Jenkins snagged a touchdown with four seconds left in the game, but the Tigers would come up just short in a 34-26 ballgame.
GAME VITALS
Final: Indiana Wesleyan 34, Olivet Nazarene 26
Records: Indiana Wesleyan 1-1 | Olivet Nazarene 0-2
Location: Ward Field | Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais, Ill.
QUICK HITS
- The Tigers had more yards of total offense in the contest, racking up 385 to IWU's 367.
- ONU did most of their damage through the air, passing for 296 yards.
- Crouch passed for 296 yards on 18-of-35 completions while throwing three touchdowns.
- Evan Leake had 12 carries for 48 yards on the day.
- Return man Clayton Davis averaged 34.3 yards on three returns, almost taking one to the house in the second half.
- Josh Miser recorded a sack for 14 yards.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Tigers will hit the road to take on Taylor University on Sept. 24. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CST.
Original source can be found here.
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