COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Dominican football team is set to close out its 2021 spring season with a home contest against Hillsdale this weekend.

THE BASICS

• The season finale is slated for a noon kickoff at Panther Stadium on Saturday, April 24.
• Ohio Dominican is 4-1 overall and in conference play, and has an outside chance of still sharing the Great Midwest spring championship. ODU will need a win over Hillsdale, as well as a Findlay victory over Tiffin to share with the Oilers.
• Hillsdale (1-2) has played just three games this spring, coming off a 31-21 win at Walsh last time out on April 10.

STADIUM POLICIES

• Each spectator must have a ticket to enter Panther Stadium for Saturday's football contest.
• Spectators are also required to show a matching ID with their printed or mobile ticket.
• Masks are required to worn throughout the venue and social distancing is expected.
• FULL SPECTATOR POLICY – PANTHER STADIUM

LAST TIME OUT

• Ohio Dominican is coming off its first loss of the spring, losing a battle of previous unbeaten teams to Tiffin, 31-16.
• The Panthers used a defensive score (safety) and a five-yard touchdown run from redshirt junior Evan Ernst (Mason, Ohio) to take a 9-7 second quarter lead.
• Tiffin responded with an eight-plus minute drive to conclude the first half, scoring a touchdown to lead 14-9 at the intermission.
• Trailing by two touchdowns late, Ernst connected with senior David Turner (Fort Wayne, Ohio) for a 62-yard catch and run to pull ODU within eight points, 24-16.
• After ODU failed to recover an onside kick, Tiffin rushed in for a 40-yard touchdown on a third down play to win 31-16.
• Tiffin had offensive possession for over 37 minutes of play, resulting in 80-46 play and 390-185 total offensive yard advantages.

TURNER TOPS RECEIVING CHARTS

• David Turner's 62-yard touchdown reception in the closing minutes was the 224th of his collegiate career, breaking Jared Stace's ODU career record of 223.
• Turner currently holds the career school records for receptions and catches per game, 5.74.
• The senior's 2,400 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in Panther lore.
• This spring, Turner leads the team and is second in the conference with 31 receptions and three touchdowns. His 284 receiving yards are also a team-high.
• To go along with his receiving numbers, Turner has been ODU's top returner this spring and holds the program's career kick return yardage record with 1,826 yards.
• Turner has 4,333 career all-purpose yards, which ranks third all-time at ODU. The senior is less than 50 yards from passing Josh Smart for second (4,382) and a shade over 100 yards from Brandon Schoen's record of 4,442.

DEFENSE NEARING SCHOOL MARK

• The Panthers have relied on their defense this spring, allowing 10.6 points per game.
• Ohio Dominican's current defensive scoring average is third best in the conference.
• The team's current mark would also set a new single season record for ODU.
• The Black & Gold's current record for best defensive scoring average is 14.2, set in 2008.
• Another strong showing for ODU could give the defense back-to-back seasons allowing less than 20 points per game, a feat that has only been accomplished one other time in program history, 2013-2014.

LB'S LEADING IN TACKLES

• Starting linebackers, senior Dauson Dales (Defiance, Ohio) and redshirt freshman Michael Powers (West Mansfield, Ohio), rank first and second on the team and both are inside the top six in the G-MAC in tackles per game.
• Dales leads the conference with 64 total stops, 12.8 per game, while also pacing the G-MAC with 9.0 tackles for loss.
• The senior made a team-high 16 tackles last time out, giving him double-digit stops in four of five games this spring.
• Dales moved into the program's all-time top-10 tackle list after the game against Tiffin with 239 career stops. Double-digit tackles against Hillsdale would move the senior into seventh place in school history.
• Powers is sixth in the conference with 39 tackles this spring, averaging 7.8 per game.
• In his first season wearing the Black & Gold, Powers has registered six-plus tackles in every game, including a career-high 12 stops against Findlay (April 10).
• Last time out marked the first time all spring that Powers was not in on a tackle for loss, as the freshman has 4.0 total this spring.

"SAFE" TO SAY

• ODU's starting safeties have been key to the secondary's success this spring.
• Senior Desdamon Lake (Youngstown, Ohio) and redshirt freshman Jayden Hill (Gahanna, Ohio) both have 28 tackles this season, tying for fourth on the team.
• The duo has a combined nine pass breakups, with Lake's five tied for second most in the conference.
• Lake's first year as a Panther has seen him post six or more tackles in three of the past four outings, including a season-high 11 stops against Findlay. Lake had three pass breakups against Tiffin last weekend.
• Hill is coming off a season-high eight tackles against the Dragons, as he has improved his tackle total in each of the past three outings.
• Redshirt freshman Daishaun Hill (Rocky River, Ohio) has operated in the hybrid linebacker-safety position this spring, ranking third on the team with 32 tackles.
• Hill also have five pass breakups, and has posted nine tackles in wins at Lake Erie and Findlay.

CORNERS ON AN ISLAND

• The Panthers' top three cornerbacks have combined for all four of the team's interceptions this season.
• Junior Ashton Gilkey (Westerville, Ohio) is one of just four players in the G-MAC this spring with multiple interceptions.
• Both of Gilkey's picks came in the spring opener at Lake Erie.
• The junior is second in the conference in total passes defended this spring, six, trailing only his classmate, Godwin Joe (Cleveland, Ohio).
• Joe has one interception and a conference-best six pass breakups this season.
• Joe has also provided a hard-hitting impact in the Panther secondary, including a season-high seven tackles against Lake Erie.
• Sophomore Dante Abrams (Maple Heights, Ohio) has the team's fourth interception, picking off a pass in the end zone at Findlay.

ON THE LINE

• Senior Eddie Miller-Garrett (Newark, NJ) and junior Jaylin Garner (Shaker Heights, Ohio) lead an explosive front four for ODU.
• Miller-Garrett has started the past three games, averaging 8.0 tackles per contest.
• The senior has added 4.0 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.
• Garner is flirting with the program's single season QB hurry record (6), logging four through five games.
• The junior set the team's single season sack record in 2019, 9.0, and has 4.0 tackles for loss this spring.

KNOCKING ON EVAN'S DOOR

• Evan Ernst has taken every snap at quarterback for the Panthers this spring, completing 65.7 percent (92-140) of his passes for 715 yards.
• The program's all-time completion percentage leader (.691), has accounted for a touchdown in every game this season, totaling six scores (4 passing, 2 rushing).
• Ernst has completed over 75 percent of his passes in two outings and has a season-high 177 yards against Lake Erie.
• Ernst recently became the fourth member in school history to reach 5,000 passing yards, as he sits fourth on the program's all-time list with 5,132 yards and 49 touchdowns.

RUNNING WILD

• Senior Frederick Pitts V (Huber Heights, Ohio) and freshman Travis Whittaker (Gahanna, Ohio) have combined for 474 rushing yards this season.
• Pitts leads the team with 246 rushing yards and has a pair of touchdown runs.
• This spring, the senior became the ninth member in school history to reach 1,000 career rushing yards and is currently seventh with 1,035 yards.
• Whittaker is averaging 4.4 yards per carry, 52 rushes for 228 yards, with his average per rush ranking fourth in the conference for players with at least 50 attempts.
• The freshman is tied for third in the G-MAC with four rushing touchdowns.

QUACK ATTACK

• Senior Jed Quackenbush (Newark, Ohio) has been the Panthers' top place kicker in recent years, but has also taken on the team's punting responsibilities this spring.
• Quackenbush has not missed a kicking attempt this season, going a perfect 11-for-11 in extra points, while also making his only field goal attempt.
• In terms of punting, the senior has 31 attempts this season, averaging 40.6 yards per try.
• Quackenbush's longest punt of the season is 58 yards and he has placed a conference-best 18 attempts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

HILLSDALE SERIES

• SERIES SUPERLATIVES
• Ohio Dominican and Hillsdale will meet for the 10th time on Saturday, with the Panthers holding a 6-3 edge in the all-time series.
• The Panthers have won five of the past six meetings, including the most recent one in 2019, 17-7 on the road.
• ODU is 3-2 at home against the Chargers, but Hillsdale won the last meeting in Columbus, 34-18, in 2018.
• The past three meetings in the series, and six of the nine games have been decided by double digits.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu