Yellow Jackets Have Record Day in Win Against Earlham (Ind.)

RICHMOND, IND.  --  The Defiance College football team posted a school-record 616 yards of total offense in a 45-21 victory against Earlham (Ind.) College in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Darrell Beane Stadium in Richmond, Ind.

DC (2-5, 2-3 HCAC) rushed for 373 yards and threw for 243 yards.  It was the most rushing yards since 2013 when the Jackets rushed for 234 yards against Anderson (Ind.) University.  It was also the first 300-yard team rushing performance since 2010 in another matchup against Earlham.  In addition, Defiance had two players rush for over 100 yards (Alex Larson and Trevon Burrell) against the Quakers which marked the first time since Oct. 30, 2010 when Drew Kuesel had 130 yards and Nick Powell recorded 114 yards on the ground.  

Larson finished the game with a career and game-high 124 yards rushing on 20 carries (6.2 yards per carry) in addition to a touchdown as well as passing for 243 yards on 20-of-30 completions with two TD and an interception.  Burrell averaged an impressive 15.3 yards per rush and ended the game with 107 yards on seven carries.  Sophomore wide receiver Darius Harper (Jacksonville, Fla./Robert E. Lee) led all receivers with a game-high 10 receptions for 87 yards.

Earlham (0-8, 0-6 HCAC) got on the board first in the opening quarter after holding the Defiance offense to a turnover on downs on its first possession of the game.  The Quakers then marched 76 yards in six plays to find the endzone and grab the early lead.  The Jackets responded with a score of their own on its next offensive drive that began at their own 25-yard line and ended in a 20-yard pass completion from Larson to freshman Vondale Kelley (Warren, Mich./Mott) with 6:11 left in the period to even the score at 7-7.  Earlham quickly regained the lead when the Quakers connected on a 38-yard pass play to find paydirt and lead 14-7 after the first stanza.

DC ended the first quarter with its only turnover of the game on an interception, but the turnover led to no points for the Quakers.  The Jackets then scored 10 unanswered points in the second quarter, starting with a 48-yard hookup between Larson and sophomore wideout Dante Smith (Villa Rica, Ga./Villa Rica) at the 9:59 mark that tied the game at 14-14.  Defiance then took the lead following a four-and-out possession by Earlham on a 29-yard field goal by senior kicker Spencer Saunders (Springfield/Southeastern Local) making the score 17-14 with 5:40 to go in the half.  The Jackets would have one more chance to add points before the end of the half with a lenghty 44-yard field goal try, but the attempt sailed wide, keeping the score at 17-14 heading into the locker rooms.

Both teams traded scores in the third quarter with DC scoring on its first drive of the period when senior Garrett Teague (Webberville, Mich./Webberville) found paydirt with a two-yard TD run to put the Jackets up by 10 points, 24-14, at the 10:22 minute mark.  Earlham scored its touchdown as part of a 13-play, 68-yard drive that ended in a eight-yard pass play that cut the deficit back to a field goal, 24-21, heading into the final quarter.

DC began to take control in the fourth quarter scoring its first of three touchdowns with 12:12 to go when Kelley added to his receiving TD with a rushing TD from six-yards out to extend the margin to 31-21.  Kelley also recorded a 25-yard scamper earlier in the drive and Burrell added a 14-yard run en route to the scoring play by Kelley.  Two possessions later, DC padded its lead when Larson recorded his third overall touchdown of the day, this time on a 13-yard run at the 8:07 mark making the score 38-21.  The final score of the game came with a little over a minute remaining when sophomore Andy Foore (Swanton) scored on a 15-yard run as DC went on to post the 45-21 victory.

Earlham had 335 yards of offense (90 rushing and 245 passing) and was led by quarterback Brennan Laird who completd 22-of-39 passes for 246 yards with a pair of TD.  He was also the team's leading rusher with 72 yards in 19 attempts and one score.  Jalen Kenner caught a team-high eight passes for 35 yards.  Fellow receiver Wesley Hundley caught five passes for a game-high 99 yards to go along with a TD.  Defensively, the Quakers were led by a quartet of players who all finished with a seven tackles.

Defensively for Defiance, junior Kyle Wlson (Wauseon), senior Eric Strickland (West Palm Beach, Fla./Seminole Ridge), sophomore Kenny Jones (Toledo/Bowsher), senior Josh Slayton (Fort Wayne, Ind./North Side) and junior Andrew Fieldhaus (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner) led the way each recording five tackles.  Two of Wilson's tackles were sacks and he also recovered a fumble.  In addition, Strickland, Jones and Feldhaus each recorded a tackle for loss.

Defiance will look to keep the momentum going when it hosts Anderson (Ind.) University in a HCAC game next Saturday, Nov. 1 at Justin F. Coressel Stadium.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.