From Homecoming King to Gridiron God...
Tyrese Banks-Dorn had a day to remember, opening Tiffin's Homecoming game with Kentucky Wesleyan by being crowned Homecoming King and then rambling for 206 yards in one of the strongest rushing days in recent TU history as the Dragons beat the Panthers 37-12 in a rainy Homecoming contest.
Banks-Dorn became just the 9th running back in TU history to rush for over 200 yards in a game, posting the most rushing yards for a TU back since 2019. He is also only the fourth running back in the last 20 years to eclipse the 200-yard mark.
Banks-Dorn gained 206 yards on just 18 carries, averaging 11.4 yards per rush along with a 7-yard touchdown run. His score came at the 3:22 mark of the fourth quarter and put the icing on the cake in a rain-soaked game. He also pushed his total to 206 yards on the game's final play, a bruising 9-yard run as time expired.
The Dragons rushed for 278 yards in the game, with Ronald Blackman adding 40 more yards and Devin Nelson 36 yards. With the weather limiting both team's offensive playbook, the rushing game figured prominently as the Dragons gained 469 yards of offense. They also outgained KWC 278-153 on the ground.
Tiffin started the game on fire, jumping out to a 17-0 lead after just 9:00. Kason Martin completed 4 passes on the opening drive including a 32-yard toss to James Dean that led to a Nelson 2-yard TD run up the middle to make it 7-0.
KWC fumbled a snap pinned back on their own end zone, with Marshawn Mankins falling on the ball in the end zone for another quick score just 12 seconds later to make it 14-0.
Mankins made another big play at the 7:52 mark as he intercepted a Panthers' pass to give TU the ball on the KWC 10-yard line. Grand Woodfin booted a 20-yard field goal to push TU's lead to 17-0 at the 6:00 mark of the first quarter.
The Panthers got on the board after a 64-yard drive on their next possession, connecting on a 15-yard TD pass to make it 17-6. Tiffin answered early in the second quarter with another Woodfin field goal, this time from 22 yards out that made it 20-6.
Neither team managed any more points in the first half but the Panthers tried to pull to within a single score of the Dragons in the second half. After Woodfin kicked a 21-yard field goal that made it 23-6 at the 11:20 mark of the third quarter, the Panthers put together a 59-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard TD pass to bring KWC to with 23-12.
The Panthers mounted another long drive late in the third quarter, marching down to the Dragons' 2-yard line and gaining four tries to make it a one-score game. The Dragons' defense stood tall, though, stuffing three rushes up the middle including a huge fourth-down stand stopped by Ramond Jackson and Antonio O'Berry that fired up the TU team and crowd.
TU's ensuing possession saw them put their best offensive drive of the day together, as Banks-Dorn and Blackman put tough runs together before Keegan Ray hit Jalen Thomas on a scintillating 59-yard pass play that gave TU a touchdown with 6:55 left in the game to make it 30-12, TU.
Banks-Dorn rushed for another 24 yards on TU's next possession, finishing the drive off with a 7-yard TD run that put the game away 37-12.
Tiffin's defense made key stops all day long, holding KWC on four fourth-down conversion attempts. TU converted 5 of 6 red-zone chances while KWC made just 2 of 4.
Ray ran the offense efficiently after Martin left the game midway through the first quarter after a bruising hit. He completed 7 of 13 passes for 131 yards. Thomas had 77 reception yards, while Josh Lewis had 50 yards receiving. Woodfin also had 3 field goals and 3 extra points.
O'Berry led the team with 7 tackles along with 2 sacks, while Jesse Johnson and Mankins had 6 stops each. Mankins had a fumble recovery for a score, an interception, and a half-tackle for loss. Jackson had 5 tackles along with Zeke Brown, while Patrick Tueimeh had 4 tackles with 2 for loss.