Owls toppled by Tigers in return to Gambier

GAMBIER, Ohio – The Kenyon College football team returned to McBride Field on Saturday afternoon for the penultimate home game and North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season contest of the 2024 campaign, a tilt with the DePauw University Tigers.

The Owls had flashes of excitement throughout the game, causing two fumbles and converting an onside kick, but could not keep up with the undefeated Tigers, eventually falling 65-0. 

The first half was a slow one for the home team, who had just two first downs and -4 total yards. DePauw (8-0, 6-0 NCAC) had a 21-point second quarter en route to a four-touchdown lead after 30 minutes of play. 

Despite facing a large deficit and struggling on both sides of the ball, Kenyon (4-5, 3-4 NCAC) came out after halftime with its best scoring opportunity of the afternoon, and it started on the kickoff. The Owls pretended to huddle around kicker Tyler Bell, who was preparing to take the second-half kick. Bell led the charge and booted a dribbling ball 12 yards and recovered the rock to jumpstart the Owls’ sideline and fans.

Park Penrod and Drake Lewis led Kenyon down the field for a nice seven-play drive, with Lewis racking up 14 rushing yards and Penrod adding 23 through the air. Catches from Dylan Carlquist and Brendan Comerford helped push the Owls down to the one-yard line, but a costly fumble kept Kenyon out of the end zone and off of the scoreboard, capping off the team’s only red zone trip of the day. 

The Owls’ defensive unit had a long but productive day, considering the team spent well over half the game on the field. The defense held the Tigers’ rushing attack to 50 yards below their season average while forcing two second-half fumbles on the conference’s best offensive unit in points per game (53.5) and total touchdowns (57). 

The first fumble came with nine minutes left to play in the third quarter, two drives after the heartbreaking fumble on the goal line preventing Kenyon’s first points of the game. DePauw running back Carson Johnson found a hole in the defensive line and looked like he was going to break off a big play, but Jackson Belyn flew across the field and blasted the back, forcing the fumble recovered by Andrew Cooney. 

Cooney added another fumble recovery in the fourth after he broke through the Tigers’ offensive line and jumped on a bobbled snap that sailed past the quarterback and running back for DePauw. 

Besides the three highlight plays, the conference’s top team continued to score in the second half, adding 28 points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth with a safety, accumulating 664 total yards on the afternoon. 

Belyn led the defense with six solo tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. Dominic Simpson was tied with Belyn with seven total tackles and added a quarterback hurry. Andy Canonico led the team with 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack. 

Penrod finished the day 8-for-17 throwing the ball for 47 yards and an interception. Lewis headlined the ground game with nine carries for 27 yards, followed by Comerford, who toted the rock six times. Comerford also added two receptions for a team-high 18 yards. He was joined by Carlquist and James Bernier with to catches apiece. 

The loss drops Kenyon’s record to 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the conference. The Owls will close the 2024 regular season on Saturday, November 9 at 1:00 pm in Gambier, where the team will face off against Ohio Wesleyan and honor the 2024 senior class.