COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Dominican football team continued its unbeaten start to the 2021 spring season with a 13-9 win over Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon.

With the home-opening win, ODU is 3-0 on the season, with each game coming against Great Midwest opponents. The Panthers have now won four consecutive home openers and are 3-0 for the first time since 2014.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A low scoring first half saw the Panthers lead KWC 6-3 at the intermission.
• ODU scored on its second offensive drive of the game, as senior David Turner (Fort Wayne, Ohio) caught a three-yard pass from redshirt junior Evan Ernst (Mason, Ohio) on fourth and goal.
• Ohio Dominican attempted a trick play on the point-after try, but the rush failed, leaving the Black & Gold with a 6-0 lead.
• KWC's first half scoring drive saw the Purple Panthers go 59 yards over 14 plays, capped by a 22-yard field goal.
• The only points of the third period came from freshman Travis Whittaker (Gahanna, Ohio), who rushed in from the one-yard line to conclude an 11-play drive to open the second half.
• KWC presented pressure up front throughout the second half, recording five sacks over the final 30 minutes to keep ODU at 13 total points.
• The Purple Panthers pulled within one score with a 20-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. ODU's lead was cut to 13-9 with 7:58 to play.
• KWC had possession for the final 3:01, converting on one third and two fourth downs to get the ball to the ODU 24-yard line in the closing seconds.
• With five seconds remaining, KWC's attempted pass in the end zone was broken up by junior Ashton Gilkey (Westerville, Ohio), securing the ODU win.

BOX SCORE NOTES

• Both sides did most of their damage through the air and KWC enjoyed a 251-189 advantage in total offensive yards.
• Turner highlighted ODU's offensive effort, catching nine passes for 58 yards and the one score.
• Senior Frederick Pitts V (Huber Heights, Ohio) rushed 21 times for 74 yards and caught two passes for 26 yards.
• Ernst completed 17-of-31 passes for 134 yards and had five attempts go for over 10 yards.
• Defensively, ODU held its third straight opponent under 100 yards. The Panthers held Ky. Wesleyan to just 47 yards on the ground.
•  Senior Dauson Dales (Defiance, Ohio) registered a team and career high 16 tackles. Dales added 0.5 tackle for loss, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry.
• Senior Eddie Miller-Garrett (Newark, N.J.) and redshirt freshman Michael Powers (W. Mansfield, Ohio) set new ODU highs with eight tackles each. Miller-Garrett paced the Panthers with 3.5 tackles for loss as well.
• The Panthers had 10 pass breakups in the game, led by Miller-Garrett and redshirt freshman Daishaun Hill (Rocky River, Ohio) with two apiece.

UP NEXT

• Ohio Dominican will enter its bye week before returning on Saturday, April 10, at Findlay.
• The Panthers and Oilers are scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu