A.J. Wright and Charlie Cleveland will join the Dragons in their road game at Kentucky Wesleyan.
Posted: Oct 09, 2019
Tiffin (4-1) hits the road for its next GMAC showdown, this time with Kentucky Wesleyan (0-5) in Owensboro, Kentucky.
On Oct. 13 last season, Tiffin hosted Kentucky Wesleyan and scored 20 first-quarter points en route to a 43-17 victory over the Panthers. Nick Watson threw for four touchdowns and 256 yards to lead the offense, while Chrystian Watkins had 11 total tackles and Ross Moore three tackles and an interception for the defense.
Tiffin and Kentucky Wesleyan have played just three times in program history, with the Dragons taking all three. In those matchups, Tiffin has outscored KWC 107-44. Last year's contest was the first meeting in 11 years, with the other games coming in 2006 and 2007.
KENTUCKY WESLEYAN NOTES
- Picked 7th in the GMAC Preseason Poll, Kentucky Wesleyan has struggled out of the gate in 2019, entering Saturday winless in five contests including 0-2 in conference action.
- Last week, the Panthers travelled to Findlay and put up a good fight early, leading 3-0 after the first quarter before the Oilers put up 17 in the second quarter and went on to win 38-13.
- Wiley Cain was 32-55 for 298 yards and a touchdown in the game, but threw three interceptions to the Findlay defense.
- Freshman Landon Newman had the best game of his career running the ball, picking up 11 carries for 107 yards.
- Ten different Panthers caught a pass in the game, including five with three or more. De'Ondre Boggs amassed eight receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown, while Peyton Peters had five receptions for 92 yards.
- Former NFL player Craig Yeast is in his first season as head coach of KWC. Yeast is no stranger to the Dragons, as he was Tiffin's wide receivers coach from 2012-2014.
KENTUCKY WESLEYAN OFFENSE
- The Panthers enter the weekend fifth in the GMAC at 18.8 points per game and 337.4 yards per game.
- KWC's passing offense ranks 14th in the nation at 294.0 yards per contest.
- Wiley Cain quarterbacks the offense, going 121-220 (55%) on the year for 1,272 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions. Cain has recorded the most attempts and completions in the conference while ranking third in yards per game.
- Corey Johnson Jr. has handled the rushing duties for the majority of the year, recording 63 attempts for 238 yards. He is averaging 3.4 yards per carry and has scored one touchdown on the season.
- Freshman Landon Newman earned the bulk of the carries last week, however, and now has 27 attempts for 172 yards, 6.2 yards per carry, and a touchdown.
- De'Ondre Boggs leads the receiving corps with 24 catches on the season for 308 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
- Two more Panthers are also over 200 yards receiving on the year, as David Florence has 243 with a touchdown and Peyton Peters has 226 with two touchdowns.
KENTUCKY WESLEYAN DEFENSE
- Kentucky Wesleyan is fifth in the conference in total defense with 416.2 yards allowed per game and sixth in scoring defense at 30.4 points allowed per game.
- The Panthers' red zone defense has been strong, though, as they rank 16th nationally by allowing touchdowns on just 60% of opponents' red zone opportunities.
- Linebacker Jalen Humphrey leads the team and is fifth in the conference with 42 tackles. He also has two tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble.
- Fellow linebacker Jalen Wilson is not too far behind, as the junior is seventh in the GMAC with 39 tackles as well as tied for sixth with a pair of interceptions.
- Dalan Cofer leads the team in sacks with 2.5 and is also fifth with 26 tackles.
- Armand Childs is tied with Wilson for the team lead with two interceptions to go along with 22 tackles and four pass breakups.
- Alijah McGee leads the team with five pass breakups in addition to 24 tackles.
TIFFIN NOTES- Tiffin jumps back into GMAC play this week, currently tied at the top with Hillsdale as the only two teams without a loss in conference action. Since joining the conference last season, the Dragons are 8-2 against GMAC competition.
- The Dragons took a week off from conference play last Saturday as they hosted Saint Anselm from New Hampshire and the Northeast-10 conference, dominating the Hawks 55-6.
- Tiffin very nearly doubled up Saint Anselm in total yardage to the tune of 604-303, and gained 29 first downs compared to 19 for the Hawks.
- The game started slow, as Tiffin scored just once in the first quarter on a Stanley Jackson touchdown catch from seven yards out. Things picked up in the second quarter, though, as Gavin Woods, Devin Butler, and Jackson again each caught TD passes from Nick Watson to make it 27-0 at halftime.
- The offense didn't slow down in the second half, scoring 28 more points with JaQuan Hardy, Trent Cramer, and Riley Adolph getting into the action.
TIFFIN OFFENSE
- The Dragons enter the weekend at the top of the GMAC on both scoring offense at 38 points per game and total offense with 523.8 yards per game, a mark that is also third in all of Division II. The points per game mark ranks 22nd.
- Tiffin has only turned the ball over three times this season, a mark that is tied for second in the nation.
- TU's passing offense has been particularly prolific this year, led by quarterback Nick Watson who is sixth in the country in both passing yards per game (311.6) and passing touchdowns (14). He is also fourth nationally in points responsible for per game with 22.8.
- The rushing attack is very potent as well, led by JaQuan Hardy's 130.4 yards per game, 7.76 yards per carry, and four touchdowns. His per game average ranks ninth in Division II and per carry is sixth.
- Stanley Jackson continues to be one of the best receivers in the nation, ranking second in DII in receiving yards per game at 139.8 and fourth in receptions per game at 8.4. He is tied for the team lead with five touchdowns with Gavin Woods, who also ranks ninth in the conference with 57.6 receiving yards per game.
- Devin Butler (24 catches, 268 yards, 1 touchdown) and Marcus Whitfield (10 catches, 145 yards, 2 touchdowns) round out the strong receiving group for the Dragons.
TIFFIN DEFENSE
- Tiffin's defense is also first in the GMAC in both scoring defense at 18.2 points allowed per game and total defense at 324.4 yards allowed per game.
- The Dragons give opposing offenses fits all game long, ranking 16th in the country with 13 turnovers gained, including fourth with 10 interceptions. That results in a 2.0 turnover margin, a mark that is also fourth in the nation.
- Carrington Contee and Ross Moore have both contributed three interceptions to Tiffin's total, ranking third in the conference and tied for 11th nationally. Contee is also fourth on the team with 30 tackles, while Moore is tied for fifth with 26.
- Linebacker Jacob Mertus leads the team in tackles with 35, including 2.5 tackles for loss.
- Charlie Cleveland is tops on the team and third in the conference with 7.5 tackles for loss, along with being tied for second on the Dragons with 31 tackles and leading with three sacks.
- Fellow defensive end Latrell Robinson is the other Dragon with 31 tackles, and has two sacks and three tackles for loss to his credit.