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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Dominican football team treks to Tiffin this weekend in search of its first winning streak of the 2019 season. The Panthers and Dragons are set to kick off the Great Midwest contest at 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, in Tiffin, Ohio.
ODU is coming off a 21-10 victory over Findlay in its home opener last Saturday. The Panthers forced four turnovers and scored a defensive touchdown in the win. The performance marked the third time the last four outings, dating back to 2018, that the ODU defense recorded four takeaways in a game.
Leading the defensive effort was sophomore Ashton Gilkey (Westerville, Ohio), who was named G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week after recording five tackles, two interceptions and two pass break ups. Junior Jayden Davis (Springfield, Ohio) paced the Panthers with 12 tackles, while senior Camren Moore (New Carlisle, Ohio) and junior Dauson Dales (Defiance, Ohio) added 10 stops each. Dales also recovered a fumble in the end zone.
Offensively, sophomore Evan Ernst (Mason, Ohio) connected on 19-of-26 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Cedric Washington (Knoxville, Tenn.) led the receiving corps with five receptions for 91 yards and one score. Sophomore DeAndre Clark (Dover, Ohio) logged his first collegiate start, totaling 76 yards over a team-best seven catches.
After leading the nation in completion percentage last fall, Ernst currently ranks seventh in Division II with a mark of .739. Junior Devanaire Conliffe (Willoughby, Ohio) is among the nation's leaders in touchdown receptions with five, while Davis and Dales rank 26th and 36th in the country in tackles per game, 10.7 and 10.0, respectively.
Tiffin returns home after a three-game road stand to start the season, a stretch that saw the Dragons go 2-1. Included in the run was a 52-0 triumph over Walsh in the G-MAC opener last weekend. Tiffin's lone loss came at Saginaw Valley, who is currently ranked No. 25 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
The Dragons boast the G-MAC's top offensive unit, as they lead the league in scoring (31.3), total offense (473.3) and passing (300.0). Tiffin is also second in the conference in rushing offense at 173.3 yards per contest. Quarterback Nick Watson is 66-of-104 for 900 yards and seven touchdowns. Stanley Jackson leads the receiving group with 23 receptions for 451 yards and three scores, while JaQuan Hardy has 302 rushing yards on 39 attempts.
Contact: Tyler Jester
jestert@ohiodominican.edu
