Dragons hit the road in week two

Tiffin looks for another win in week two at St. Anselm.
Tiffin looks for another win in week two at St. Anselm.
Posted: Sep 07, 2023

 

Tiffin University (1-0) travels to St. Anselm (0-1) in Manchester, New Hampshire for its next football game on Sept. 9 at 3:30 pm.

The Dragons have not faced St. Anselm since 2019 when TU hosted the Hawks and posted a 55-6 victory. The Dragons featured a balanced attack that scored 27 first-half points and 28 second-half points en route to 604 yards of offense. Nick Watson connected on 24 of 39 passes for 330 yards and 5 touchdowns. Devin Butler had 8 catches for 110 yards, while JaQuan Hardy had another monster game, rushing for 126 yards on 16 carries (7.9 yards per rush).

Tiffin is 1-0 against the Hawks in its career, with 2019 being the lone season the Dragons took on the team. This marks the longest trip of the season for the Dragons and a first-ever venture to New Hampshire. Last season the Hawks were 6-4 overall after a 3-6 season in 2021.

ST. ANSELM NOTES

Saint Anselm opened its season with a 33-7 defeat on the road to Millersville University on Thursday, August 31st. The Hawks were held to just 16 yards rushing and 207 yards of offense in total. In 2022, Saint Anselm started the year off 4-0 but ended with an overall record of 6-4, 3-4 in the Northeast-10 Conference.

ST. ANSELM OFFENSE

• The Hawks rank fourth overall for yards per game in the NE-10 after week one. They rank third in passing yards per game but sit last in rushing yards of teams that have played.
• Junior quarterback Anthony Santino attempted 49 passes in the loss to Millersville, completing 31 of them for a total of 191 yards and one interception.
• Saint Anselm ran the ball 21 times, 11 of which came through Vincent Wagner who recorded 31 rushing yards and the only touchdown of the game.
• Santino's go-to receiver was Carson Goda, reeling in 11 catches for 89 yards. He was followed by Blaine Burkhalter with eight receptions for 30 yards. Wagner was utilized in the passing game out of the backfield, tallying 37 yards on five catches.


ST. ANSELM DEFENSE

• Defensively, Saint Anselm ranks fourth in their conference in points allowed per game, however, it allowed the fewest passing yards per game after week one with just 154.
• The Hawks are led by senior defensive back Will Klein who led the team in tackles with eight. He added two tackles for loss including the only sack of the game.
• Another playmaker in the secondary for Saint Anselm is Brandon Potts who recorded four total tackles and added a team-high three pass breakups.
• Linebacker Alejandro Santiago made four total tackles as well and recorded a pass breakup.


TIFFIN NOTES

The Dragons started the season off with a bang, recording an all-time single-game record for points in a 79-14 thumping of McKendree at Frost-Kalnow Stadium. Tiffin scored a total of 11 touchdowns, nine offensively and two by the defense. The Bearcats scored on their first two drives to take a 14-6 lead before the Dragons went on to score 73 unanswered points.

TIFFIN OFFENSE

• Following week one's performance, Tiffin's offense ranks first in the G-MAC in total yards per game (614.0), points per game (79.0), average yards per play (8.4), and total touchdowns (9).
• Transfer Kason Martin looked impressive in his Dragon debut, completing 17 of his 25 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. He currently leads the conference in completion percentage, passing yards, passing touchdowns and was named G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week.
• In the run game, Devin Nelson looked untouchable as he scampered for 155 rushing yards on 12 attempts, averaging nearly 13 yards per carry. Nelson found the endzone twice including a 56-yard touchdown run.
• Tiffin's receiving corps displayed great depth with Jalen Thomas recording five catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns and Josh Lewis who snagged two receptions for 79 yards and one touchdown. Six other players also tallied at least one reception as well.


TIFFIN DEFENSE

• After allowing McKendree to score on its opening two drives, the defense buckled down and did not allow a single point for the remainder of the game. The Dragon defense ranks tied for second in the conference with three sacks and number one in interceptions with three.
• Three players all tied for the most tackles on the team with six including Marshawn Mankins, Jesse Johnson, and Zeke Brown.
• Senior defensive lineman Robert Holtz racked up five total tackles and got to the quarterback twice, leading the team with two sacks.
• Chucky Lewis, Ramond Jackson, and Caleb Streat all recorded an interception each. Streat returned his 79 yards the other way for a touchdown.