Senior Justin Magazine rushes for 174 yards and two touchdowns to lead Football in a 28-27 loss to Baldwin Wallace

By Ashley Birchmeier

ADA — Senior Justin Magazine rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns and senior Devon Price caught 11 passes for 104 yards to lead Ohio Northern in a heartbreaking 28-27 football loss to Baldwin Wallace Saturday evening at Dial-Roberson Stadium.

The Polar Bears fall to 1-1 overall and are 0-1 in Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Yellow Jackets improve to 1-1, 1-0.

Northern out-gained BW 400-338 in total offense, had more first downs (22-18) and held the ball for nearly nine minutes in the fourth quarter.

But the Polar Bears had some costly mistakes, missing three field goals and two extra points, a key turnover in the red zone and several ill-timed penalties proved too much to overcome. 

Magazine's punishing 9-yard TD run pulled ONU within 28-27 with 2:02 left in the third period. But ONU's extra point attempt was wide left and BW retained its 1-point lead.

Northern then drove inside BW's 30-yard line on its three fourth quarter possessions, but a sack and missed 51-yard field goal, an interception in the end zone and a missed 19-yard field goal with 3:11 left in the game kept the Polar Bears from taking the lead on each occasion.

The Yellow Jackets then ran out the clock to hang on for the win.

Baldwin Wallace struck first in the contest when Tyler Moeglin hit Mike Waggoner on a 24-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 with 4:40 left in the first quarter.

The visitors then scored on a 37-yard halfback pass from Trevor George to Bryon Cook putting the Yellow Jackets on top 14-0 as time expired in the first quarter.

Magazine got Northern on the board in the second quarter as he scampered for a 5-yard touchdown score pulling the Polar Bears within 14-7 with 9:42 left in the half.

Just under two minutes later the Polar Bears struck again as freshman Will Freed found the end zone on a 7-yard run to pull ONU within 14-13 with 8:25 remaining until halftime. But ONU missed the extra point and BW kept its 1-point lead.

The Baldwin Wallace offense responded as Austin Smith was able to take the ball 2 yards for a touchdown, giving the Yellow Jackets a 21-13 advantage with 6:06 left before half.

Freed continued to pilot the ONU offense as he led the Polar Bears 81 yards in 16 plays for a touchdown. He hit junior Reed Allen on a 31-yard touchdown score with just eight seconds left in the half to make it 21-19.

Freed hit Allen again on the 2-point conversion to knot the score at 21-21 at intermission.

In the second half, Baldwin Wallace drove the ball 76-yards on 15 plays on its first possession to take a 28-21 lead when Austin Smith plowed in from 1-yard out with 4:10 left in the third.

After a 32-yard kickoff return from Price, the Polar Bears began its ensuing drive from its own 44-yard line with 3:59 remaining in the third.

Magazine scampered for 9-yards and a score to cap-off a 56-yard, 9-play Ohio Northern drive. Another failed extra point attempt left the Polar Bears trailing 28-27.

BW was led by Moeglin, who ran 21 times for a career-high 159 yards and completed 11-of-19 passes for 97 yards and a TD.

Freed finished the day 16-of-30 passing for 154 yards and a TD and ran eight times for 39 yards and a score for ONU.

Senior Trent Stout led the ONU defense with 10 tackles.

The Polar Bears return to action next Saturday as they celebrate Homecoming and welcome Heidelberg to Dial-Roberson stadium for a 1:30 kickoff in the fourth annual Bendo Bowl.