Jackets Run Past Earlham for Second-Straight Win

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College rolled up a season high of 281 yards on the ground and held Earlham College to just 105 total yards of offense on Saturday afternoon, en route to a dominating, 26-10, victory inside of Justin F. Coressel Stadium. [ITH Video Highlights]

The Jackets controlled the line of scrimmage on their way to a second-straight victory, averaging 6.5 yards per carry and racking up 341 more yards of offense than the winless Quakers.

Rick Powell did much of the damage by accounting for 301 of DC's 446 total yards of offense and adding two scores. The senior rumbled for 136 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while passing for 165 yards and a score through the air.

Defiance provided Powell with plenty of help, as Joey Chester broke loose for a 61-yard touchdown run down the visitor's sideline for a 7-0 lead on the third play from scrimmage. Wiedenhoft hauled in five of Powell's 12 completions for 77 yards and a touchdown to highlight DC's aerial assault.

The trio of offensive scores was more than enough for a stingy Yellow Jacket defense that limited Earlham to 1.6 yards per snap and only 33 yards of rushing on 22 attempts.

Pat McDonald led the way with 10 stops and one hit for lost yardage, while Joemese Scott wreaked havoc with 1.5 sacks, 3.5 hits for lost yardage and six total tackles. Tony Sierra and Brad Sealey each intercepted a pass, while Josh Williams and Gregg Pickett notched sacks and Marquise Lee teamed with Pickett for a safety to cap the scoring.

Defiance never trailed following Chester's 61-yard sprint and opened up a 21-3 spread with a 26-yard touchdown run by Powell and a 47-yard touchdown completion from Powell to Wiedenhoft early into the second quarter.

The Quakers managed to slow the DC attack from that point on however, keeping the Jackets out of the end zone over the final 41:55 of play and using a third-quarter strike to draw within 21-10 with 7:42 left in the game.

That would be as close as it would get, as Spencer Saunders booted a 33-yard field goal at the 8:57 mark of the fourth quarter and Lee's safety at the 4:41 mark sealed the 26-10 Defiance victory.

Defiance (2-4, 2-2 HCAC) will look to move to 2-0 under interim head coach Nate Jensen and notch its third-straight win when it heads to Anderson (1-5, 1-3 HCAC) on Saturday, October 22.

The game will begin at 1:30 pm and will be aired free of charge on the Yellow Jacket Sports Network. Jim Funderburg and Jim Bellamy will call the action, with a pregame show starting at 12:45 pm at www.defianceathletics.com/video.