Hiram, Ohio - The Oberlin College football team suffered a 27-19 defeat at Hiram College on Saturday afternoon.
Statistically, the Yeomen dominated the game with a 20-12 advantage in first downs, a 306-255 edge in total yards, and time possession differential of 36:45 to 23:15, but in the end it was all for naught as the Terriers topped the Yeomen for the second straight season.
Sophomore QB
Drew Nye was 34-of-55 passing for 289 yards to accompany a pair of TD tosses, but he was also intercepted twice.
Evan Smith-Rooks led the way with 88 yards on 11 catches, while
Connor Steele snagged six balls for 85 yards and a score. However, Oberlin's ground game never got going as the Terriers limited the Yeomen to just 17 yards rushing.
It was an offensive struggle for both sides throughout the first half as the two foes combined for just nine points. The Terriers took a 6-3 lead into the intermission on the strength of 29- and 43 yard field goals from Chris Miller. Oberlin would get on the board courtesy of a
Wes Penta 23-yard field goal, that mercifully ended a 22-play, 93-yard peregrination that took 11:22 off the clock.
Oberlin would get stuffed on 4th-and-1 deep in its own territory early in the third quarter and the Terriers were able to take advantage of the short field as Sean Tejeda found Jaden Jennings all alone in the back of the end zone for a 4-yard TD toss to finish off a 9-play, 31-yard drive and make it a 13-3 Hiram advantage.
However, the Yeomen would respond by cashing in their first touchdown of the day as Nye hooked up with freshman
Colten Danel for his first-career TD, hauling in an 11-yard strike in the far corner of the end zone to make it just a three-point contest with 16:11 left to play in the game.
Unfortunately, it didn't take Hiram long to reclaim a two-score lead as Tejeda found a streaking Raequan Hereford-Davis for a 38-yard TD, finishing off a 52-yard drive that took just three plays.
The Yeomen would not go away quietly as they answered with another meticulous drive, running 17 plays over 7:52 but ultimately had to settle for another Penta field goal as he sailed one through from 28 yards to make it a 20-13 game with just under seven minutes to play.
The seesaw affair continued on with Hiram scoring rather quickly again as Tejeda called his own number and scampered in from six yards out. Oberlin would take over trailing 27-13 with 4:10 left to play but Nye was intercepted by Ricardo Jimenez.
The Yeomen defense would force a quick 3-and-out, giving them a glimmer of hope and Nye would find Steele for a 5-yard TD but just five seconds remained on the clock as time ran out on the Yeomen.
Evan Elliott led the defense with eight tackles and a sack, while
Jake Russell also had a sack in the loss.
The loss dropped Oberlin to 1-6 overall and 0-5 in the NCAC while Hiram moved to 1-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play.
The Yeomen will close out the home portion of their schedule next Saturday against Ohio Wesleyan at noon.
