Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College football team put up a strong effort, but in the end the Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops came away with a 29-16 victory on Saturday night at the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex.
 
Oberlin led 16-14 with 5:49 left in the third, but a quick response by the Bishops put them out in front for good and ultimately sent home a large homecoming crowd with a disappointed feeling.
 
The Yeomen's go-ahead drive lasted 6:18 as the team marched 74 yards on 16 plays, but mercifully had to settle for a 23-yard Michael Leshchyshyn field goal. In the end, the Yeomen should feel grateful for getting that as a bad snap was saved by holder Chris Mueller to give his kicker a chance to convert.
 
Unfortunately, the lead was very short-lived as the ensuing kickoff was returned 56 yards by Wyatt Griffith to the Oberlin 39. Six plays and 1:15 later the Bishops recaptured the lead as Jesse Beachy cashed in a 4-yard TD run to make it 22-16.
 
Early in the fourth the Bishops would strike in a hurry again as Griffith ripped an apparent interception from the hands of Bennett Jackson and race 54-yards to cap the game's scoring.
 
Special teams was a trouble spot all evening long for Oberlin as Tim Shadoan scored the first touchdown of the game on a 61-yard punt return with 10:39 left in the opening quarter.
 
Oberlin would go into the bag of tricks to even the score at 7-7 as a reverse pass had wide receiver Jabari Clemons throwing to quarterback Zach Taylor for a 19-yard touchdown, finishing off a 12-play, 75-yard drive that covered 3:31 off the clock.
 
A 52-yard scoring strike from Jax Harville to Ross Hickenbottom with 5:59 left in the first half put the Yeomen back in a 7-point hole, but minutes later it was the defense that came up big as Jackson stepped in front of a Harville pass and returned it 55-yards for his first-career touchdown and second interception of the season. The Bishops would block the PAT as they went into the intermission with a slim 14-13 lead.
 
Oberlin had a promising scoring opportunity go by the wayside early in the second quarter, having a 1^st-and-goal from the 6-yardline and ultimately came away with no points. A sack and tackle-for-loss forced a field goal, but another bad snap never allowed Leshchyshyn to attempt the kick as the Yeomen came away empty handed despite starting the drive on the OWU 38-yardline.
 
The Yeomen offense, which finished with 263 total yards, couldn't get any positive momentum going in the second half. Of their seven drives, three ended on punts, two on downs and one on a fumble.
 
Taylor finished 21-of-40 passing for 147 yards and added 53 yards on the ground on 24 attempts. Robby Reinheimer was his top target with eight catches for 77 yards.
 
Making his first-career start, Jubreel Hason had a team-high 12 tackles and a sack. Brendan Mapes added seven stops and a sack of his own.
 
The Bishops moved to 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the NCAC, while Oberlin dropped to 0-4 and 0-3 in league play.
 
The Yeomen will be back in action next Saturday at Allegheny College. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.