Pioneers visit Yellow Jackets for 2007 OAC opener
Marietta (0-1) at No. 14 Baldwin-Wallace (1-0)
6:30 p.m. • Saturday, Sept. 15 • George Finnie Stadium

Game Notes (.pdf)
Sept. 12, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College football team opens 2007 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play Saturday (Sept. 15), when it makes the trek to Berea to take on No. 14 Baldwin-Wallace College. Kickoff with the Yellow Jackets is slated for 6:30 p.m. at George Finnie Stadium. The Pioneers are on a three-game win streak in the series, which includes a dramatic 37-31 overtime win at Don Drumm a year ago.

Here is a look at both teams:

Baldwin-Wallace College: The Yellow Jackets, who did not play in week one, are coming off an impressive 24-8 upset of then-ranked No. 18 Augustana (Ill.) on Saturday (Sept. 8). It was the second straight year that Baldwin-Wallace upset the Vikings to start the season. Baldwin-Wallace’s 24-point output ranked tied for fourth in the OAC after each team played one game. The Yellow Jackets rank fifth in total offense (330.0)—sixth in passing (165.0) and fourth in rushing (165.0). Baldwin-Wallace was is the third-most penalized team in the league, giving up 69 penalty yards, in its first game. The Yellow Jackets converted 3-of-4 red-zone chances and 6-for-14 third down opportunities against the Vikings.

Senior running back Nick Ranallo led the team in rushing with a 16-carry, 80-yard and one-touchdown performance, the sixth-highest rushing total in the Conference after the first round of games. Senior quarterback Mickey Mental once again leads the offense. Mental completed 10-of-16 passes and threw for 155 yards in week two. He also ran 12 times for 40 yards and two scores. Senior wide receiver Vinnie Latessa had a team-high five catches for 84 yards, while senior All-OAC split end Matt Lepley caught two passes for 26 yards against Augustana.

The Yellow Jacket defense allowed an just eight fourth quarter points in their first game, which ranked fifth among OAC teams. Baldwin-Wallace surrendered 134 yards on the ground and 65 yards through the air. B-W, who has a +4 turnover margin, had two sacks in its first win.

Junior All-OAC middle linebacker Paul Berger had a team-high 14 tackles, seven solo, against the Vikings. Senior defensive back Darren Cereshko junior safety Karl Schreiber both added eight stops in the game. Cereshko also had an interception for the second straight year against Augustana. Senior All-American punter Kevin Solfkianics averaged 45.2 yards per punt, which ranks best in the OAC.

Marietta College: For the first time since 1999, the Pioneers are looking to bounce back in week three from a season-opening loss. Marietta, who fell 55-14 to No. 3 Saint John’s in Collegeville, Minn., Sept. 1, has had success against Baldwin-Wallace in recent years. Marietta’s offense compiled 187 yards against Saint John’s, which ranked 10th in the OAC. Of those yards, 26 came on the ground, while 161 were through the air. Marietta converted 5-of-17 third downs and 2-of-4 red-zone chances in week one. The Pioneers have a -4 turnover margin.

Individually, sophomore quarterback Dexter Hughes has completed 10-of-25 passes and thrown for 119 yards this season. In addition, sophomore quarterback Ryan Merrill went 5-for-10 and threw for 42 yards and one touchdown in week one. Sophomore wide receiver Ryan Dawson was the Pioneers’ leading receiver against the Johnnies, pulling in five receptions for 58 yards. Seven other Marietta players caught a pass in the game. Sophomore running back George Davis was the primary ball carrier in week one, carrying the ball 11 times for 48 yards and once score. Junior Pat Lane was 0-for-1 in field goal attempts and 2-for-2 in PATs. Senior punter John Bensie averaged 35.8 yards on six punts with a long of 46.

Marietta’s defense enters week three ranked ninth in total defense. It allowed 484 total yards against Saint John’s. The Pioneers rank eighth against the pass (290.0) and the run (194.0). Senior linebacker Carter Shaver paced the team with an OAC-best 14 stops, including two for loss. He also had one of the squad’s two sacks. Sophomore defensive back Clinton Thompson added 10 total tackles, while junior linebacker Grant Cowell finished with nine.

Week 3 Game Notes

THE RECORDS: Saturday marks the first OAC game of the 2007 season for both teams. Marietta, who is 0-1, went 6-4 overall and 5-4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) in 2006. Baldwin-Wallace, who is 1-0, was 7-3 overall and 6-3 in the OAC last fall.

GAME TIME: 6:30 p.m. EST, Saturday, Sept. 15, George Finnie Stadium in Berea, Ohio.

THE COACHES: Marietta’s Curt Wiese is in his second season as the leader of the Pioneers. Wiese, the offensive coordinator of the Pioneers for the three years before becoming the head coach, earned his bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State-Mankato in 1999. Baldwin-Wallace’s John Snell begins his sixth year as the Yellow Jackets’ head football coach and 14th year overall with his alma mater. The 1987 graduate has a career record of 36-17.

ALL-TIME SERIES: The Jackets and the Pioneers meet for the 30th time on the gridiron in 2007 with Baldwin-Wallace leading the series 24-5. Marietta, however, has won three straight over B-W.

LAST MEETING: Marietta turnovers staked visiting Baldwin-Wallace to a 17-0 lead, but the Pioneers battled back to tie the game, 31-31, at the end of regulation. In overtime, the first ever for Marietta, the Pioneers scored on their opening possession, when senior Jason Vrable hit senior tight end John Bokat on a four-yard TD. Sophomore defensive back Alan Tracewell sealed the 37-31 win with an interception on B-W’s possession.

GREAT COVERAGE: Marietta’s student station, WMRT-FM 88.3, will be in Berea to cover the game for Pioneer fans. The broadcast will begin with a short pre-game at 6:15 p.m.

LISTEN ONLINE: Marietta College is proud to once again offer its fans on the World Wide Web the opportunity to listen to all 10 Pioneer football games through a partnership with Stretch Internet. All you need is QuickTime. For more information visit Marietta’s athletic web site: http://pioneers.marietta.edu. Archives are also available to listen to or to purchase.

APPROACHING 400: Marietta began its 112th season one win shy of 400 all-time victories. The Pioneers will try to reach that mark on Saturday.

GETTING OFF TO A QUICK START: Marietta will look to get off to a fast start out of the locker room this season after struggling in the first half in 2006. The Pioneers were outscored 65-34 in the first quarter and 67-49 in the second quarter last year. On the other hand, Marietta outscored its opponents 51-38 and 88-72 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.

RED-ZONE STAND: Marietta will look build upon its success in the red zone last year, when it converted 79.4% (27-of-34) of its chances. 19 of its 34 scores were touchdowns. The Pioneers look to continue to improve on the defensive side of the ball. They allowed scores in 28-of-42 chances, including 18 touchdowns, in 2006.

THIS WEEK IN THE OAC: A full slate of OAC games are on the schedule Sept. 15. Capital (1-0) visits Wilmington (0-1), and Ohio Northern (1-0) travels to Muskingum (0-1) for 1:30 p.m. kickoffs. In addition, John Carroll (1-0) visits Heidelberg (1-0) and Otterbein (0-1) is at Mount Union (1-0). Those games begin at 7 p.m.

NEXT GAME: Marietta welcomes Otterbein to Don Drumm Stadium for a 6 p.m. contest on Sept. 22. Baldwin-Wallace remains at home to play Wilmington that day at 1:30 p.m.

ALUMNI DAY/RIVER CITY BOWL: The Pioneers plan to welcome back all football alumni next week. In addition, it is the third annual River City Bowl. A full day of activities is scheduled. The game will also be carried live locally on WTAP-TV.

FALL SCHEDULE CARDS: Fall schedule cards are now available. Pick one up at the gate or stop by the Athletics office.