No. 22 Ohio Northern visits Marietta for season finale
Ohio Northern (7-2, 6-2 OAC) at Marietta (5-4, 4-4 OAC)
1:30 p.m. • Saturday, Nov. 12 • Don Drumm Stadium

Game Notes (.pdf)
Nov. 11, 2005
MARIETTA, Ohio - The Pioneers welcome Ohio Northern University to Don Drumm Stadium this Saturday (Nov. 12) for a week ten match-up. Ohio Northern is tied for second place, while the Pioneers are in sixth place in the Ohio Athletic Conference. It is Senior Day at Marietta College.

Here is a look at both teams:

Ohio Northern: The Polar Bears stop at Don Drumm Stadium this week. Ohio Northern is coming off an emotional 63-0 win against Wilmington a week ago, having lost offensive coordinator and former Marietta assistant Ron Bendekovic during the week.

The Polar Bears have the second highest scoring team in the OAC, averaging 38.6 points. They rank second in total offense (428.0) — sixth in passing (216.3) and first in rushing (211.7). Ohio Northern is the fifth least penalized team in the league, giving up 56.3 penalty yards per game. The Polar Bears have converted 30-of-41 red-zone chances and 43-of-105 third down opportunities.

Freshman running back R.J. Meadows leads the team in rushing, averaging 93.6 yards per game, while junior running back Derek Garrod contributes 77.9 yards per game. Junior Adam Quirk leads the team in passing. Quirk has completed 122-of-200 passes with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. Senior wide receiver Brian Lee leads the team in catches with 37 for 667 yards and five touchdowns.

The Polar Bear defense is allowing an average of 15.8 points this season, which ranks third in the league. The Polar Bears surrender 122.4 yards on the ground and 166.1 yards through the air per game. Ohio Northern has a +6 turnover margin.

Senior linebacker Rick Danison paces the defense and ranks eleventh in the OAC with 68 tackles, 25 solo. Sophomore linebacker Lenny Truanik has added 67 stops and junior Aaron Esposito has collected 63. Senior Jason Trusnik leads the team with 5.5 sacks.

Lee handles the punting duties and averages 32.4 yards.

Marietta College: The Pioneers are looking to complete a winning season with a win over visiting Ohio Northern Saturday. The offense, which has average over 425 yards over the last three game, is averaging 329.9 yards of total offense on the year. That total ranks sixth in the OAC. Of those yards, 132.6 come on the ground, while 197.3 are through the air. Marietta has converted 52-of-145 (.359) third downs and 23-30 (.767) red zone chances this season. The Pioneers rank fifth in the league with a +3 turnover margin, having forced 22 turnovers and committing 19. The offensive line, which has been shuffled due to injuries, has allowed 25 sacks on the year.

Individually, junior quarterback Jason Vrable has completed 148-266 passes for 1,725 yards and 11 touchdowns. He thrown 11 interceptions. Junior Nic North has been Vrable’s favorite target, pulling in 47 catches for 484 yards on the season. Junior Jason Curry ranks second on the squad with 32 receptions for 440 yards and six scores, while Chad McDaniel has been found 28 times for 349 yards.

Steven Wagner continues to be the primary ball handler despite battling injuries all season and has carried it 161 times for 609 yards and four scores. Sophomore Joe Webb has also received consistent work, collecting 213 yards and three touchdowns on 72 carries.

Sophomore Nick Manson has converted 14-of-21 PATs and 6-of-9 field goals. Curry, who continues to handle the punting duties, is averaging 37.9 yards per punt and has stop 19-of-62 inside opponents’ 20-yard line. His punting average is second-best in the OAC.

Marietta’s defense enters week seven ranked ninth in total defense. It has allowed an average of 403.3 yards per game. The Pioneers rank ninth against the pass (241.3 yards per game) and ninth against the run (162.0 yards per game). Marietta has collected 16 sacks for a loss of 113 yards this season.

Individual defensive leaders include sophomore linebacker Brian Hahn, who ranks seventh in the league with 85 tackles, and senior linebacker Darren Marks, who is right behind him in eighth place with 77 stops. Hahn has a team-high four sacks. In addition Clay Ream has added 58 tackles, 11.0 for loss and Anthony Banks has 52 stops and four picks.

GAME NOTES

GAME TIME: 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12, Don Drumm Stadium.

THE RECORDS: Today is the final week of the 2005 season. Marietta enters week 10 with an overall record of 5-4, while Ohio Northern is 6-2. Marietta sits sixth in the Ohio Athletic Conference at 4-4, while Ohio Northern is 6-2 and in a three-way tie for second place.

THE COACHES: Marietta’s Todd Glaser is in his third season with the Pioneers. Glaser earned his bachelor’s degree from Wisconsin Eau-Claire in 1993. His overall record in 13-16. Ohio Northern’s Dean Paul, a 1990 graduate of Mount Union, is 15-4 in his second season with the Polar Bears.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Today marks the 32nd meeting between the two schools. Ohio Northern leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1910, 22-8-1. Ohio Northern has won the last nine meetings.

LAST MEETING: Last year Marietta ended the 2004 season with a heartbreaking 28-21 road loss to No. 15 Ohio Northern. Steven Wagner ran for 146 yards on 27 carries. Jason Vrable went 15-of-31 for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Anthony Banks led the Pioneers defense with 12 tackles, while Brian Hahn and Thadd Sharrett each added 10 stops.

LAST WEEK: On Saturday (Nov. 5) Marietta came back from an 18-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Baldwin-Wallace 32-31, while Ohio Northern rolled past Wilmington 63-0.

GREAT COVERAGE: Saturday’s football game is being broadcast live by WMRT-FM 88.3, Marietta College’s campus radio station, and WMOA-AM 1940. The broadcast can also be heard live online at www.mariettaonline.com. In addition, WONB-FM 94.9 will be covering the game for Ohio Northern.

SENIOR DAY: The Marietta College athletics department and football staff would like to extend a special welcome to all the parents of the senior football players, cheerleaders and student-athletic trainers. Thanks for your support throughout the last four years.

PURSUING RECORDS: Junior quarterback Jason Vrable has completed 148-of-266 pass attempts for 1,725 yards this season. He enters the final week with an opportunity to set the school-record for completions (162), attempts (310) and passing yards (1,834).

PURSUING RECORDS PART TWO: Junior Nic North needs eights receptions to break the single-season reception record of 54, set a year ago by Mike Valiante. North has 47 catches for 484 yards in 2005.

THE QUEST FOR 3000: Senior running back Steven Wagner has rushed for 2,944 career yards, which means he needs 56 yards Saturday to become just the sixth Pioneer to reach that milestone.

BLUE ALERT: Pioneer fans wearing their Blue Alert shirts will have an opportunity to win $100 cash during halftime. Shirts are on sale inside the stadium. All proceeds benefit the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

PROBABLE STARTERS