Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College football team welcomes Denison University to the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex on Saturday night to open the home slate of its 2016 schedule.
 
What: Oberlin College (0-2, 0-1 NCAC) vs. Denison University (1-0, 0-0 NCAC)
When: Saturday, September 17, 6 p.m.
Where: Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex, Oberlin, Ohio
Radio: AM-1320 WOBL – Don Vincent (p-b-p) l Chris Schubert (Color)
Online Coverage: Live Stats l Live Video l Live Audio
 
Series Information …
Oberlin trails in the all-time series against the Big Red 17-51-3… The first meeting between the two schools was in 1911 … The Yeomen have dropped three straight to Denison with their last win coming in the form of a 30-6 triumph at home on October 13, 2012 … In the last two years the Big Red have out-scored the Yeomen 89-7, including last season's 45-0 blanking in Granville.
 
Last Time Against the Big Red …
In last year's 45-0 shutout loss, the Yeomen offense was never able to get going as they finishing with just 86 total yards compared to the Big Red's 396 … Denison scored on its first four possessions of the game and never looked back.
 
Scouting the Big Red …
The Big Red come in having two weeks to prepare for the Yeomen as they had a week-two bye after taking down Marietta College, 34-21, on September 3 … Denison had a strong 2015 campaign, finishing 7-3 overall and 6-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference … Sophomore quarterback Canaan Gebele threw for 264 yards and a score in the season-opener … In nine games in 2015 he totaled 1,337 yards and 12 touchdowns against just three interceptions … Like many across the NCAC, Oberlin is happy star wide receiver Dushawn Brown has moved on, but Oberlin will now be tasked with slowing down sophomore David Weimer who snagged 10 balls for 104 yards and a touchdown vs. Marietta …  Defensively, the Big Red are led by an experienced secondary that features seniors Andrew Baird and Joel Lohoua.
 
Taylor Talk …
Freshman QB Zach Taylor has wasted no time in making an impression on the North Coast Athletic Conference … The California kid ranks second in the NCAC in total offense with 659 yards for an average of 329.5 yards per game … His six TD tosses tie for a conference best with Allegheny's Logan Lee … Taylor has also done it with his legs, ranking third in the league with 132 yards on the ground on an NCAC-leading 48 rushing attempts – nine more than Allegheny's Tyler Balla.
 
2-For-200 …
The Yeomen defense, and secondary in particular, has gotten off to a tough start, allowing a 200-yard receiver in each of the team's first two games … In the season opener at Kalamazoo, Collin Feilla snagged 10 balls for 216 yards and a score, while last week Kenyon's Brian Hunca caught 14 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns … The Yeomen have surrendered 720 yards through the air this season and overall opponents are averaging 542.5 yards per game. 
 
It Has Happened Before …
Michael Leshchyshyn's 35-yard field goal in the first quarter last week against Kenyon marked Oberlin's first field goal make since Erickson Andrews made a 41-yard kick against Wabash on October 25, 2014 … In 2015 the Yeomen did not attempt a field goal the entire season.
 
Penalty Problems …
A season ago the Yeomen were one of the more disciplined teams in the NCAC, finishing fourth in total penalties with 63 infractions over the 10-game season … However, it has been a much different story to start this season as the Yeomen have been getting flagged at an alarming rate … In just two games, Oberlin has drawn 28 flags, 11 of which have resulted in first downs for their opponents … In total, the Yeomen have surrendered 246 yards on penalties.
 
When Allen Attacks …
Junior defensive end Anthony Allen has been one of the few bright spots on that side of the ball as he ranks fourth in the NCAC with 11 tackles per game, while his two sacks are third-best in the league … With 22 tackles to his credit, he is just one of three players in the conference with 20-plus tackles to this point in the season.
 
Move Those Chains …
The Yeomen offense has been able to move the ball through the first two games of the season … Their 44 total first downs is third-best in the NCAC with 18 coming via the rush, 21 through the air and five by penalty … The Yeomen have rushed a league-high 99 times – 14 more than Allegheny … Overall, Oberlin has ran more plays than any team in the conference with 162 offensive snaps.
 
Parking Plan Reminder …
With construction happening in the Philips parking lot, fans wishing to reserve a VIP parking spot and four VIP season tickets can visit this page for complete information and registration … Note: fans who already purchased a spot will be given four VIP tickets instead of two.