Oberlin, Ohio - The Oberlin College football team looks for its first win of the season as they closeout a season-opening three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against Denison University.

What: Oberlin College (0-2, 0-1 NCAC) vs. Denison University (1-1, 1-0 NCAC)
When: Saturday, September 18, 1:00 p.m.
Where: Oberlin, Ohio (Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex)
Online Coverage: Live Stats l Live Video
TV: Oberlin Sports Network App on Amazon Fire, Roku, and AppleTV

Inside the Series …
Saturday marks the 76th time the Big Red and Yeomen have battled on the gridiron in a series that dates back all the way to 1911 … Denison has won seven straight contests against Oberlin with the last Yeomen triumph coming on October 13, 2012 in the form of a 30-6 victory … It was a banner day for quarterback Josh Mandel as he threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns … Classmate Robin Witjes was his top target, catching a career-high 12 balls for a career-best 222 yards and two touchdowns, which still ranks fifth all-time for receiving yards in a game.
 
Scouting the Big Red …
Denison boasts the best defense in the NCAC, conceding just 257.5 yards per game and is tied atop the conference with Ohio Wesleyan in allowing only 17 points per game … Sophomore linebacker Jeff Moore is the conference's top tackler as he has registered 28 stops over the first two games … Sophomore running back Trey Fabrocini is averaging 4.3 yards per carry and has scored two TDs thus far … Quarterback Drew Dawkins, who has thrown for 277 yards and three scores to three different receivers, is also a threat to run as he has totaled 87 yards on the ground through the front two games … After dropping its opener at Ohio Northern University, 34-10, the Big Red bounced back last week with a 31-0 shutout victory of Allegheny at Deeds Field-Piper Stadium.
 
Last Time Against the Big Red …
After an initial stop by the Yeomen defense on the game's first drive, Denison would score a touchdown on six of its next seven possessions en route to earning a 49-0 victory over the Yeomen … Then-sophomore running back Kobe Brooks was a bright spot for Oberlin as he busted out a career-best performance with 150 yards rushing on 24 attempts, which included a collegiate-best rip of 56 yards … Quarterback Chris Allen Jr. was under duress all afternoon long as he was sacked five times and finished 13-of-35 passing for 112 yards with an interception … Denison racked up 493 yards of offense and held Oberlin to 266.
 
Hey Rook …
First-year quarterback Evan Smith-Rooks looked impressive in relief of Allen last week as he threw for 131 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-14 passing in the 62-6 setback to Ohio Wesleyan … Smith-Rooks led Oberlin on its lone scoring drive of the game, capping off a 10-play, 92-yard jaunt that took 4:05 off the clock with a 16-yard strike to Jack Diskin … The drive also featured a 31-yard pitch-and-catch to Diskin.
 
Blowup in the Backfield …
The Yeomen defense has produced 13 tackles-for-loss through the first two games … Junior defensive end Ethan Boufford has been a big part of that as he is tied atop the conference with two sacks while he and teammate Jeremy Acosta are tied for third best in the league with 2.5 tackles-for-loss on the year.
 
Follow the Chains …
The Yeomen have gone for it a league-high nine times on fourth down and have converted five tries for a 56 percent success rate … However, Oberlin's third down efficiency is an area that needs improvement as they have converted at just a 29 percent clip (10-of-34), which is second worst in the NCAC.
 
Ground Zero …
After scoring just one rushing touchdown in 2019, the Yeomen are yet to produce a rushing touchdown in 2021 … Oberlin has not produced a point on the ground in four straight games dating back to 2019 and in 11 of its last 12 overall … The lone rushing TD during that stretch came from converted linebacker Von Wooding, who snuck in from 5-yards out against Wittenberg on November 2, 2019.