Dragons prepare for the Storm in Game 2

 

Lake Erie Offense

 

It wasn't a lack of offensive yards that killed the Storm in their 30-3 loss to Edinboro last Saturday. The 12 penalties, four interceptions, and two lost fumbles destroyed any chance Lake Erie had of winning the game.  The Storm amassed 404 yards of total offense on 87 plays, with the ground game doing the majority of the work. The Storm finished with 54 rushing attempts and 236 rushing yards for a 4.4-yard average. The Storm's offensive line had troubles in pass protection against Edinboro, allowing three sacks. Lake Erie used two quarterbacks in the game, with Javarian Smith getting the start. Smith went 9-19 for 102 yards, and threw three interceptions. His backup didn't fare much better, completing 8 of 14 passes for 66 yards and an interception. Desmon Turner carried the ball 17 times for the Storm, amassing 107 yards and zero fumbles. Lake Erie had eight players carry the football last Saturday, with five of those ball carriers fumbling and two of those fumbles being lost. Noah Snyder led Lake Erie in receiving, snagging four receptions for 79 yards.

 

Lake Erie Defense

 

The Storm surrendered 414 yards of total offense to Edinboro, with the air attack doing the majority of the damage. Edinboro completed 20 of 44 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Storm allowed 156 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown. Edinboro averaged 5.0 yards per carry and 5.9 yards per pass play. The Storm's defense played well, holding Edinboro to 10 points through two and a half quarters. Lake Erie also forced three turnovers in the game, snagging an interception and forcing two fumbles. Zach Jude and Thomas Covington led the Storm with nine tackles each. Jude registered a sack, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble. Covington forced two fumbles from his defensive back position. 

 

Lake Erie Special Teams

 

The Storm connected on 1 of 2 field goal attempts, as Mike Music nailed a 42-yard attempt in the 3rd quarter. Music handles all facets of kicking for Lake Erie, averaging 36.2 yards per punt and 57 yards per kickoff. On the return side, Michael Goolsby returned all three kickoffs, averaging 13 yards per return. Mitch Tilley returns punts for the Storm, averaging 8.5 yards per return.

 

 

 

Tiffin Offense

 

The Dragons' offense looked great early, leading 10-0 after a quarter of play. The Dragons gained 154 yards of total offense in the 1st quarter, 41% of their total offensive output. From the 2nd quarter on, the Dragons gained only 223 yards of total offense. Four miscues cost the Dragons potential points on Thursday, as the Dragons threw one interception, lost two fumbles, and a botched hold on a field goal ended in a turnover on downs. Tiffin committed only five turnovers, but they were costly, either extending Findlay drives or killing Tiffin drives. In his first collegiate start, Nick Watson completed 22 of 37 passes for 194 yards. Watson also carried the ball 13 times for 39 yards and a touchdown. JaQuan Hardy finished with 10 carries for 69 yards. Charles Holland led Tiffin in receiving, snagging eight receptions for 72 yards. 

 

Tiffin Defense

 

The Dragons' defense pitched a shutout in the 1st quarter, but it was a different story in the 2nd quarter. Tiffin surrendered 182 yards in the 2nd quarter, leading to 21 Oiler points. The defense found themselves in trouble at the start of the 3rd quarter, but an interception by Brandon Burks at the goal line prevented the Oilers from extending their lead. The Oilers' rushing attack wore down the Dragons' defense, as Tiffin allowed 337 rushing yards on 48 attempts and three touchdowns. Through the air, the Dragons surrendered 146 yards and a touchdown. Jacob Mertus led the way for Tiffin, totaling 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss. Brandon Burks finished with eight tackles and an interception. The Tiffin defense failed to register a sack, breaking a streak of six straight games with at least one sack.

 

Tiffin Special Teams

 

There were highs and lows for Tiffin in the special teams department. On the high end, freshman kicker Joe Metcalf nailed a pair of field goals, the longest coming from 41 yards. Metcalf also handled kickoff duties for Tiffin, averaging 57.3 per attempt. On the low end, the Dragons botched a hold on a field goal attempt and shanked a punt. Harry McCollum averaged only 25 yards per punt with a long of 39 yards. In the return game, Dontrael Brown showed great speed, averaging 31 yards per kick return.