OBERLIN, Ohio – Senior Chris Savaglio's sack set the wheels in motion for The College of Wooster football team to get the defensive stop it needed, then the offense maintained possession for the final 4:57 of the Fighting Scots' 28-24 win over Oberlin College on Saturday afternoon at the Knowlton Complex.
Oberlin (0-5, 0-4 North Coast Athletic Conference) converted a fourth-and-1 play to move inside the red zone with about seven minutes remaining, then got derailed with a 10-yard holding penalty. On the second-and-20 snap, Savaglio spilled Chris Allen Jr. for a 10-yard loss. Pass breakups by junior Matt Ulishney and sophomore PT Fischer surrounded Savaglio's sack, and Wooster (3-2, 2-2 NCAC) was able to rally to the ball in time on Oberlin's fourth-and-30 catch and lateral.
On Wooster's ensuing possession, a 14-yard third-down completion to first-year Bryant Douglas II kept the chains moving with about 3:40 remaining, then junior Andrew Yanssens did the heavy lifting with 28 of his 78 rushing yards on the final drive. Along the way, Yanssens picked up two first downs, and his 12-yard burst on second-and-4 from the Yeomen's 31-yard line clinched the victory.
Wooster played from behind, but answered Oberlin's first touchdown with a scoring drive of its own. Senior Mateo Renteria's keeper from a yard out capped a nine-play, 62-yard drive, that featured 25- and 19-yard completions to sophomore Carter Warstler and junior Charlie Henegar, respectively. Junior Lake Barrett's extra point tied the game at seven with 13:40 left in the opening half.
Next, sophomore Domenic DeMuth logged a sack, as Wooster forced a three-and-out, then Warstler cut back across the field during his 75-yard punt return touchdown, in what marked the Scots' first one since 2016. After Oberlin's Kobe Brooks scored on a 10-yard run, Wooster went right back down the field, needing just seven plays to cover 74 yards. An 18-yard completion to first-year Andrew Hammer and an Oberlin roughing the passer penalty were the chunk plays leading up to Yanssens' 17-yard touchdown run.
Oberlin's Jack Diskin caught a 13-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the first half, as the teams went into the locker room deadlocked at 21.
Senior Troy Baughman put Wooster ahead with a 2-yard touchdown run with 8:48 on the third-quarter clock, while Sam Bingaman's 32-yard field goal pulled Oberlin within 28-24 with 2:47 to go in the third.
Renteria completed 19-of-31 passes for 229 yards. His 19 completions were spread among eight receivers, with Baughman having the high mark in catches at five and Douglas II leading the way in yards at 44. Senior Angelo Petracci led the defense for the fifth straight game with 11 tackles, and sophomore Alex White was one back of the Scots' standout linebacker. Savaglio had six tackles and two sacks on the day.
Allen Jr. was 26-of-34 for 272 yards, and he added 40 yards on the ground. Brooks toted the ball 19 times for 65 yards, Brandon Davies led Oberlin's receivers with seven receptions and 82 yards, and David Harris paced the defense with 11 tackles.
Oberlin outgained Wooster 404-334 in total offense, but the Scots did have 132 return yards.
Wooster is off next week and is back in action at Wabash College on Saturday, October 16.