Oberlin's Defense Fumbles

Oberlin Unable to Stop Wooster's Tough Offense

Oberlin Football played their last home game of the season this past weekend, which ended in a 34-0 loss to the Scots of Wooster, making Oberlin's record 0-8.

The Scots, now 5-3, had struggled in previous weeks, losing three straight games prior to this one. A top-of-the-conference contender in the past three seasons, Wooster has now been pushed to the middle of the pack by teams like Wabash, Allegheny and Wittenberg, who is fourth-ranked in the nation and undefeated. And who Oberlin had the fortune of not playing this season.

Though Wooster is not at the top of the conference this season, they are still a good football team. Head Coach Jeff Ramsey said, "They were a better team than us. Their offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage."

For the first time in weeks, the defense had an off game and struggled against Wooster's offense, allowing 34 points. They gave up a touchdown on each of their first two drives of the game giving them an early 12-0 lead in the first quarter. The Yeomen defense gave up 27 points in the first half.

Though they struggled in the first half, one noticeable moment came with Oberlin making a fourth and one stand on their 11 yard line late in the first half, keeping Wooster from padding their lead anymore.

Again, the offense was plagued by an inability to score, although the Yeomen did come close on a few occasions. The most notable came at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth when

Oberlin's offense put together a 45 yard drive that got as close as the three yard line. However, the drive ended with a Wooster interception in the end zone. First-year running back David Lightfoot led all rushers in the game with 65 yards, including one 20 yard run in the second half. Despite Lightfoot's efforts, the Yeomen ended the game with a net gain of 21 yards rushing, most of that due to 10 sacks for negative 74 yards. Ramsey said, "It all comes down to making plays, especially when playing a good team like Wooster."

The Yeomen will play the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops this weekend in Delaware, OH. The Bishops are 5-3 this season and according to Ramsey, "They are not the same team as they were last year. We will have to play well and make big plays. The offense will need to score."

The Bishops defense is one of the better ones Oberlin will face this season, including a DE/OLB who gets in a sprinter's stance and attacks offensive backfields. Ramsey challenged the offense, saying, "[The DE/OLB] will only be a problem if we allow him to be."

The same holds true for this game, as well as every other game this season. If the Yeomen can move the ball, put points on the board and just play solid mistake-free defense, they can grab their first victory of the season. The game will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Ohio Wesleyan.