Area college roundup: Soliday leads ONU to 40-20 win
10/28/2001ADA, Ohio - Jeff Soliday threw three touchdown passes to Jace Metzner and also ran for a score as Ohio Northern beat Wilmington 40-20 yesterday.
Zach Weber added two fourth-quarter TD runs for the Polar Bears.
Soliday completed 15 of 31 passes for 177 yards with two interceptions and hooked up with Metzner on scoring plays covering 9, 24 and 20 yards. Metzner had six catches for 106 yards. Soliday also ran for 35 yards on eight carries with a touchdown.
Ohio Northern (6-2, 6-1 Ohio Athletic Conference) led 20-2 after Metzner's three TD receptions only to have Wilmington (4-4, 3-4) pull to 26-20 on Arthur Steele's 25-yard field goal with 8:22 left.
Weber then scored on touchdown runs of 9 and 20 yards in a span of 1:19 to put the game out of reach.
Will Isaac rushed 24 times for 115 yards for Wilmington and freshman Jeff Bean, making his first career start, completed 23-of-47 passes for 249 yards with one interception. He threw for one touchdown and ran for another.
Ryan Alspaugh had 11 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown for the Quakers.
BLUFFTON 26, FRANKLIN 24
BLUFFTON, Ohio - Brad Moore scored on a 1-yard keeper with 1:28 remaining to lift Bluffton past Franklin.
Moore, who also passed for three touchdowns, engineered a 17-play, 73-yard drive that led to his scoring plunge.
Moore completed 16 of 31 passes for 207 yards without an interception, hitting touchdown passes covering 33 and 6 yards to Jim Dwenger and 12 yards to Jon Spradling.
Bluffton (4-4, 3-2 Heartland Conference) led 20-9 at the half before Franklin (2-6, 1-3) came back to take a 24-20 lead on two Jeremy Neibert touchdown passes. Neibert, who completed 22 of 32 passes for 230 yards with one interception, found Dustin Faulstick on a 10-yard scoring pass and Craig Thompson on an 8-yarder.
Neibert also had a 6-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Gillard.
HOPE 33, ADRIAN 0
HOLLAND, Mich. - Phil Butler threw three touchdown passes and the Hope defense allowed just 194 yards.
Butler completed 24 of 34 passes for 280 yards for the Dutchmen (6-1, 3-0 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association). Brian Adloff caught 11 passes for 123 yards, including a 23-yard TD in the second quarter. Mike Gle caught touchdown passes covering 36 and 9 yards, finishing with eight catches for 108 yards.
Kevin Bostelman led all rushers with 81 yards on 19 carries for Adrian (1-7, 1-2). Joe Davis completed 11 of 22 passes for 95 yards.
OTTERBEIN 56, HEIDELBERG 14
WESTERVILLE, Ohio - Shane Rannebarger rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns for Otterbein, which scored 42 points in the second quarter.
Rannebarger's 5-yard TD run in the first quarter gave the Cardinals (4-4, 3-4 OAC) a 7-0 lead. When he ran for another 5-yard touchdown late in the second, Otterbein had a 42-point lead.
Robert Benjamin threw three touchdown passes, Andre Mock returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown and Jeff Gibbs ran a kickoff back 85 yards for a score as the Cardinals' second quarter explosion made it 49-7.
John Sharp was 13-of-24 for 129 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for Heidelberg (1-7, 1-6), which committed five turnovers.
CASE RESERVE 43, DENISON 29
CLEVELAND - Greg Neundorf (Sylvania Southview) passed for 301 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores, but it wasn't enough for the Big Red (2-6).
Brandon McDowell rushed for 228 yards and scored the first three touchdowns for Case Reserve (3-5).
THOMAS MORE 33, DEFIANCE 17
CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. - Justin Frisk rushed for 135 yards for Thomas More, which scored the final 19 points on its way to its 14th straight victory.
Defiance's Miko Colston broke a 14-14 halftime tie with a 31-yard field goal with 4:37 left in the third quarter.
Thomas More (8-0) answered with a seven-play, 76-yard drive that Curtis Williams finished with a 7-yard touchdown run.
Maurice Hooker rushed for 118 yards for Defiance (7-1).
MERCYHURST 44, HILLSDALE 31
ERIE, Pa. - Brett Weiding threw for four touchdowns and ran for another to lead Mercyhurst.
Weiding completed 18 of 31 passes for 220 yards and rushed for 43 more as the Lakers (2-5, 2-5 Great Lakes) built a 23-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed.
After Weiding rushed for a touchdown and threw for three more, Hillsdale (3-6, 3-5) trailed 44-10 with 10:28 to play.
Joe Williamson went 19-for-41 for 176 yards for Hillsdale and threw two of his three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Shawn Kersjes had a 3-yard touchdown run for the last score of the game with 48 seconds left.
BC-FBC--Saginaw Valley St-Findlay,125
cbo-jri
Saginaw Valley St. 49, Findlay 21
FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) - Matt LaFleur passed for 258 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a game-high 99 yards as Saginaw Valley State beat Findlay 49-21 on Saturday night.
LaFleur completed 16-of-28 passes, including TDs covering 14 yards to Ruvell Martin, 24 yards to Travis McAlpine and 43 yards to Mark LaFreniere.
LaFleur's TD passes and a pair of Eric Houle field goals gave the Cardinals (8-1, 7-1 Great Lakes Intercollegiate) a 27-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
Rodney Walter closed the scoring with a 99-yard interception return.
Robert Campbell, Brant Carroll and Jeff Fraser each had rushing touchdowns for Findlay (2-7, 2-6). Fraser completed 22-of-32 passes for 186 yards with one interception.