Ranked Tigers take down Yellow Jackets in Illinois

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – In a clash of purple and gold at Ward Field on Saturday, the Defiance Yellow Jackets suffered their fourth straight loss with a 63-14 result at No. 24 Olivet Nazarene.

The Yellow Jackets (2-4) played a ranked team for the third time in the last four games while the Tigers (4-1) were coming off a bye. Saturday's contest was just the second all-time meeting between the two schools, joining a Defiance win in 1993.

Defiance took the football to start the game and that opening drive was kept alive by a gutsy fourth-down run by Dylan Armentrout. However, the nine-play drive stalled out on downs in ONU's territory.

Olivet Nazarene sported a quick-strike offense all afternoon that scored 42 points on 33 offensive plays in the first half. On their first possession, the Tigers scored in three plays and scored the first points of the game on a 46-yard pass caught by Blake Lamb. After a 3-and-out by DC, ONU scored in four plays highlighted by Keshawn Huguely's 34-yard rush to the 9-yard line. Huguely finished what he started on the next play with a nine-yard plunge into the end zone. 

The Tigers' longest scoring drive in the game was six plays, which occurred three times and started with the first play of the second quarter to increase their lead to 21-0. Olivet Nazarene also scurried at the end of the first half, compiling a 43-yard drive in six plays and just 39 seconds. The Tigers also scored on their first two possessions of the second half. The lead swelled to 63-0 after they blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown. 

Defiance avoided the shutout on Saturday with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Jehlani Warren found Mar'Kel Wade for a 17-yard scoring connection, and the tandem teamed up again a few moments later from 10 yards away, thanks to DC getting the ball back due to an ONU fumble on the kickoff.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Olivet Nazarene built a 21-0 lead in just 13 plays. Before halftime, the Tigers scored on 6 of 8 possessions.
• In the first half, the Tigers outgained Defiance 350 to 61 despite one less snap on offense than DC.
• The Yellow Jackets were limited to just four first downs in the first half but rebounded with 133 yards and 10 first downs after the half.
• ONU became the third team to eclipse 200 yards on the ground against the Yellow Jackets.
• DC's running game churned out 150 yards, making it the fourth such performance this year of 150 yards or more.
• Dylan Armentrout was DC's featured runner on Saturday and had a sterling 5.8 yards per carry, giving the Yellow Jackets just their third rusher of the year averaging over 5 yards per rush with 10 carries or more. Armentrout finished with 12 carries for 69 yards.
• Armentrout also had the team's longest offensive play of the day with a 26-yard rush in the fourth quarter, which helped ignite the team's first scoring drive of the day.
• Mar'Kel Wade's two catches both went for touchdowns, increasing his career touchdown total to three.
• Jay Graves was DC's top defender with four tackles and a fumble recovery.
• DC had six tackles for loss and two came from Darrell Owens.
• The Yellow Jackets called upon three quarterbacks with Ethan Thanthanavong ruled out. Jehlani Warren started the contest and took the team back over in the fourth quarter. Jordan Southall took most of the snaps during the second quarter. Myles Tackett also appeared in the second quarter and started the second half.
• Defiance moved the ball well under Tackett with a seven-play drive in the second quarter, but an interception halted that drive. Tackett also finished the game as the team's second-best rusher with 48 yards.

UP NEXT
Defiance returns home to play in its first MSFA Mideast League game of the season, which counts towards the conference championship. The Yellow Jackets will entertain the Taylor Trojans with a 1 p.m. start at Justin F. Coressel Stadium. 

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