Box Score COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Dominican University and Lake Erie College will likely see plenty of each other in the future when both team's join the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) next fall. And if Saturday was any indication, this rivalry is going to be a wild one for the Panthers and the Storm.
After using a two quarterback system for the first four games head coach Dale Carlson looked to the experience of Billy Griffin (Jr., Columbus, OH; pictured) to lead the Panthers on Saturday in a wild offensive shootout versus future GLIAC rival Lake Erie College. Griffin accepted the challenge with high marks as he threw for a career-high 393 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Panthers to their third victory of the season.
Defense was an after thought on this day as the two teams combined for 101 points and 1,258 yards and almost featured another frantic finish this time at Jack Britt Memorial Stadium in Painesville, Ohio. Despite a record setting offensive day by the Storm, ODU was again able to hold off a fourth quarter rally by their opposition to come up with a 52-49 victory to spoil Lake Erie 's Homecoming.
Turnovers were the key to the victory on Saturday for the Panthers. ODU, who had turned it over just four times this season, were able to again hang on to the ball as Lake Erie wasn't that lucky as they committed three turnovers on the day. The ODU defense forced two interceptions and a fumble on the day.
The scoring started early and often as the two offensive juggernauts traded punches in the first half. Ohio Dominican opened the scoring as wide receiver Justin Campbell (Sr., Laurel, MD) snuck behind the Storm defense and Griffin hit him in stride for an 80-yard bomb to give the visitors a 7-0. Lake Erie responded with two straight touchdowns to bring the score to 14-7 early in the first half.
The Panthers quickly struck back as they scored three straight touchdowns, aided by a pair of Sean Bedevelsky's interceptions. Griffin plunged in from 2-yards out to tie the game with 7:31 left in the second quarter. The junior gun slinger then found Brandon Robinson (So., Eaton, OH) from 6-yards out and connected with Campbell for his second TD, this time from 36-yards out to give ODU a 28-14 lead heading into the break.
The Storm opened the third quarter with a three-and-out and Mark Nichols (R-Fr., Pataskala, OH) busted through the defense for a 40-yard run and his first of two touchdowns on the day. Nichols finished the afternoon with career high 82-yards on 14 carries.
From there the game started to resemble a tennis match, with scores going back and forth at a seemingly rapid pace.
Lake Erie put up the next touchdown as Demetrius Gray scored on another seven-yard run, but Sam Marcotte's extra point bounced off the right upright, resulting in a 35-20 score with 9:52 left in the third.
Nichols added his second TD of the game on a two-yard run on the Panthers' next possession and Bedevelsky answered just a minute later with a toss down the far sideline to Nick Yeager. ODU kept the scoring going when Griffin capped off a 64-yard drive with a three-yard run that Panther fans hoped would break the Storms backs, but it wasn't enough as the Storm answered with nine seconds left in the period. That score made it a 49-34 game heading into the fourth quarter.
ODU drove down the field quickly to open the fourth, but stalled and had to settle for a 24-yard field goal from Chris Vortkamp (So., Cincinnati, OH) with 13:34 left in the game.
Down 18, Lake Erie went 64 yards in 10 plays, keyed by a 5-yard run by Bedevelsky, to get within with-in striking distance.
The teams then traded possessions before Lake Erie got the ball back with 2:14 to go. The Storm went 83 yards in eight plays in just 62 seconds. A couple of runs by Bedevelsky, another big pass to Yeager and a late hit penalty on the Panthers set up a three-yard lob into the end zone to red-shirt sophomore Brandon James. The Storm added the two-point conversion using a bit of trickery to cut the lead to 52-49 with time winding down.
Lake Erie then lined up for the onside kick, but ODU's Kyle Reichelderfer (Sr., Circleville, OH) stepped up and fielded the kick allowing Ohio Dominican to run out the clock and escape with the victory.
Griffin led the Panthers offense almost to perfection, hitting on 26-of-39 for 393 yards and three scores without an interception. He also had the two rushing touchdowns for ODU.
The Panthers posted 591 total yards in the win. Campbell caught five passes for a game-high 164 yards, while Reichelderfer caught six passes for 80 yards.
Defensively for the Panthers, Jeff White (R-Fr., Gahanna, OH) had a game-high 18 tackles, including 15 solo's and Brian Babcock (Sr., Napoleon, OH) made 11 stops and had an interception.
Ohio Dominican will return to action next Saturday, October 10th as they host St. Joseph 's College (Ind.) in their annual Homecoming game. Kick-off for the Panthers and Pumas is set for 12:30 p.m.
