OBERLIN -- Trailing 21-6 at the end of three quarters of play, the Kenyon College football team rallied with 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to topple Oberlin College, 28-21, during Saturday’s North Coast Athletic Conference contest at Knowlton Stadium.
Kenyon started a drive late in the third quarter and it spilled over into the start of the fourth. The drive spanned 75 yards, nine plays and 2:43. It ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan O’Leary to running back Drake Lewis. Rocco Danese kicked the extra point and the Owls now trailed 21-13.
When Oberlin got the ball back, quarterback Chris Allen Jr. was picked off on a third-and-four play from the Oberlin 35-yard line. Kenyon defensive back Daniel Guzevich came up with the big play, recording the interception and giving Kenyon the ball at the Oberlin 42-yard line.
The Owls offense kept the ball on the ground this time, starting the drive with a huge 25-yard scamper from Jordon Benjamin. One pass and four more running plays put the Kenyon team in the end zone once again. The scoring play was a one-yard plunge from O’Leary. Danese again made the point after and Kenyon was within one point, at 21-20, with 10:38 still left.
The Oberlin offense was stopped when it got the ball back, gaining only one yard on its next possession, which ended with Darryl Shands sacking Allen Jr.
The Yeomen punted the ball away and Kenyon set up on its own 37-yard line with 8:22 to play. A 12-yard run from Jack Provenza and an 18-yard reception from Andrew Schnarre put the Owls on the Oberlin 33-yard line. Later, Andrew Catron had an important 15-yard reception and, on the ninth play of the drive, O’Leary connected with Joseph Gorte for a 19-yard touchdown and Kenyon’s only lead of the game.
Shands answered the call again for the Kenyon defense on what would be Oberlin’s final offensive drive. The Yeomen moved the ball to midfield, but Shands picked off Allen Jr. to seal the deal with 1:26 left on the clock. Shands finished the game with five tackles, two sacks and that game-ending interception.
Offensively, Kenyon posted its best rushing numbers of the season. The Owls ran the ball 37 times for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Benjamin led the bunch with 120 yards on 15 attempts. Lewis and Provenza both finished with 43 yards and O’Leary tacked on 18.
O’Leary also completed 21-of-34 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. His top target was Gorte, who ended up with seven receptions for 58 yards and that go-ahead touchdown. Schnarre finished with 56 receiving yards and Lewis wound up with three catches for 29 yards.
All three Oberlin scores came through the air, as the Yeomen were unable to run against the Kenyon defense. Allen Jr. completed 21-of-30 passes for 286 yards and touchdown tosses to three different receivers.
On the ground, Oberlin had just 32 yards on 29 carries.
Kenyon, which racked up six quarterback sacks, improved to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the NCAC. Oberlin dropped to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
