COLUMBUS, Ohio – Despite committing three turnovers, Ohio Dominican's football team racked up 537 yards of offense and held off a pesky Walsh squad, defeating the Cavaliers 24-13 Saturday night in GLIAC action from Panther Field.

With the victory, ODU improved to 3-2 (2-2 GLIAC), while Walsh fell to 1-4 (0-4 GLIAC).

The Panthers racked up 297 yards on the ground on a school record 58 carries, while also throwing for 240 yards. Freshman running back Brandon Schoen (Olentangy, Ohio) registered 139 yards on the ground on 25 carries, while junior Ronnel Spates (Cleveland, Ohio) finished with a career-best 87.

Quarterback Mark Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio) completed 18-of-21 tosses, the fourth-best completion rate in school history (85.7 percent) for 240 yards and a TD and also ran for 63 yards and a score. His top target, sophomore Abe Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio), had seven catches for a career-best 128 yards, while freshman Ronald McCloud (Cleveland, Ohio) hauled down six passes for 94 yards and a TD.

Senior defensive back Eisen Hardy (Pickerington, Ohio) led ODU with six tackles, and classmate Jeff White (Gahanna, Ohio) had four tackles (3.0 for loss) and a sack.

Leading 10-0 at halftime, ODU gave up a touchdown on Walsh's first possession on a 71-yard passing play. The Panthers answered quickly, though, with Miller hooking up with McCloud on a 35-yard pass, and Schoen capping the drive with a four-yard TD plunge to make it 17-7 Panthers with 9:51 to play in the third.

After the teams swapped punts, the Cavaliers connected on another big passing play, this one for 40 yards, to score and make it a 17-13 game with 1:31 to play in the third. The extra point was blocked.

ODU's offense came up with another big drive, moving 65 yards in 12 plays. Facing a third-and-12 from the Walsh 15, Miller kept it himself on a draw and maneuvered his way across the goal line for the touchdown, extending ODU's lead to 24-13 at the 11:14 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Panther defense forced a punt, and ODU had a chance to put it away but fumbled on the Cavalier 35 with just over four minutes to play. Walsh advanced to the Panther 15, but three pass attempts into the end zone fell shy, and the Panthers ran out the clock.

ODU finished with 31 first downs to Walsh's 11. The Panthers' 297 rushing yards were the fifth-most in school history. ODU also held Walsh to 44 yards rushing on 25 carries (1.8 yards per rush), the third time this season the Panthers have held an opponent to less than 67 yards rushing in a game.

The Panthers had two great scoring chances on their first two drives of the game but could not turn them into points. ODU marched 64 yards in 12 plays on its opening drive, but turned the ball over on the Walsh three on a fumble. After a short punt, the Panthers took over on the Walsh 23, but managed just nine yards and turned it over on downs.

ODU's defense then forced a turnover on downs of its own at its 26, and the Panther offense moved quickly down the field. Schoen had consecutive runs of 20, 12 and 11 yards to the Walsh 16, and two plays later Miller hooked up with McCloud on a 14-yard TD toss to make it 7-0 moments into the second quarter.

After another Walsh punt, Miller connected with Johnson on back-to-back pass plays of 28 and 30 yards to move the ball to Walsh's 13, and freshman kicker Brent Wahle (Pataskala, Ohio) connected on a 30-yard field goal that put ODU on top 10-0 at the 9:46 mark of the second.

The Panthers had another crack inside the Walsh red zone before the half, but Miller's third down pass was intercepted in the end zone.

ODU outgained Walsh 315-91 in the first half, with 61 of Walsh's yards coming on one pass play.

Ohio Dominican remains at home at 1 p.m. Saturday to take on nationally ranked Ashland.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu