Gambier, Ohio – The inconsistencies of the young Oberlin College football team were prevalent again on Saturday afternoon as the Kenyon College Lords handed the Yeomen a 45-16 defeat at McBride Field.
 
Freshman quarterback Zach Taylor did all he could to keep the Yeomen within striking distance for the majority of the game, but the Yeomen failed to slow down the Lords in key situations for much of the afternoon.
 
Taylor finished 17-of-32 for 221 yards to go along with two touchdowns and an interception. For the second straight game he was also the team's leading rusher, gaining 68 net yards on 20 attempts.
 
However, his freshman counterpart from the Lords Thomas Merkle was also impressive as he threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns against the Yeomen secondary.  On the ground Nat Henry rushed for 128 yards, averaging eight yards per carry on his 16 attempts. In total the Lords out-gained the Yeomen 490-332. Through the air Brain Hunca had 213 yards and two touchdowns on 14 catches – marking the second straight week the Yeomen have allowed a 200-yard receiver.
 
Oberlin had an early 3-0 lead as the Yeomen put together a methodical 14-play, 54-yard drive that took 4:48 off the first-quarter clock. It ended with a 35-yard field goal from rookie Michael Leshchyshyn, marking the Yeomen's first field goal since Erickson Andrews made a 41-yard kick against Wabash on October 25, 2014.
 
It would be the last lead of the game for the Yeomen as the Lords responded with three answered touchdowns to take a 21-3 lead into the intermission.
 
The Yeomen got back into the game early in the second half as Melvin Briggs took the opening kickoff 53 yards down to the Kenyon 32-yard line. It appeared Oberlin was going to squander the field position, gaining just three yards on the first three plays of the drive. However, Head Coach Jay Anderson elected to go for it on 4^th-down and the gamble paid off as Taylor threw a perfect pass along the far sideline for a 29-yard touchdown to Robby Reinheimer to make it a 21-10 game. The sophomore from Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, finished with nine catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
 
The Lords would respond with a quick strike of their own, needing just seven plays and 2:53 to go 85 yards. A 68-yard gash by Henry ultimately setup the four-yard TD toss to Ian Bell from Merkle.
 
Later in the third quarter the Yeomen started on their own 4-yardline, but a Kenyon pass interference call and a 40-yard connection from Taylor to Justin Cruz gave Oberlin some breathing room. A 15-yard catch by Corey Fussinger and a 17-yard run by Taylor had the Yeomen in the redzone. Then once again Taylor and Reinheimer hooked up – this time from 18 yards out to get the Yeomen back within two possessions at 28-16.
 
Unfortunately, the fourth quarter completely belonged to the Lords as they scored 17 points over the final 15 minutes to leave no doubt in the eventual outcome. The Yeomen's four fourth-quarter possessions ended with two punts, an interception return for a touchdown, and lastly with the final seconds ticking away.
 
Defensively, Anthony Allen led the Yeomen with 12 tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Bennett Jackson chipped in with two pass break-ups to go along with eight tackles.
 
The win for the Lords moved them to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the NCAC. Oberlin dropped to 0-2 and 0-1 in conference action.
 
Oberlin will look for its first win of the season next Saturday when it welcomes Denison University for its first home game of the year. Kickoff from the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex is set for 6 p.m.