Football: Alma (Mich.) (0-0 Overall) at Ohio Northern (0-0 Overall)

Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, 1 pm - Dial-Roberson Stadium, Ada, Ohio

| Game Notes (.pdf) |

Saturday's Contest: Today's contest marks the season opener of ONU's 128th season of football. It is ONU's first of five home games this season. ONU is 551-508-36 in 127 seasons of play, a winning pct. of .520.

ONU Head Coach Dean Paul: Paul is in his 19th season at ONU with a 114-64 record, a winning percentage of .640. Paul is ONU's all-time winningest coach in ONU football history. He is 154-76 in 23 seasons overall and is 0-0 vs. AC.

AC head coach Jason Couch: Couch is in his fifth season at AC with a 14-18 record. He is 0-0 vs. ONU.

Last Meeting: RB Clarence Walker ran 22 times for 103 yards and Bob Taylor returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown as Alma edged ONU 20-14 in the 1977 season opener at Alma. K Steve Winkle nailed a then-school record 45-yard field goal as the two teams were tied 6-6 at halftime.

ONU Outlook: The Polar Bears return 45 lettermen and 18 starters as they look to bounce back from finishing 4-6 in 2021. Nine starters are back on offense, led by All-American RB Brock Martin, who has 422 carries for 1,860 yards and 21 touchdowns in his 34-game career. Seven starters are back on defense, led by seniors Nichal Johnson and Kedarius Woodfork and junior Josh Bever on the defensive line. Senior Dom DiFalco is back to handle place kicking duties.

ONU Leaders: The Ohio Northern running game is led by All-American RB Brock Martin (141 att, 639 yards, 5 TDs in 2021) and RB Jamir Nunley (15 att, 144 yards, 1 TD in 2021). QB Trevor McConnell was 10-of-24 passing for 122 yards and 1 TD in 2021. WR Austin Eick (60 rec, 1,037 yards, 12 TDs in 2021), and WR Jack DiMario (28 rec, 388 yards, 1 TD in 2021) lead the receivers. LB Peyton Wilson, DL Josh Bever and DB Dalton Tjong lead the defensive returners with 78, 66, and 59 tackles in 2021, respectively. DL Josh Bever also leads the returners with 8.5 TFL and 6.0 sacks in 2021.

AC Last Season: Alma finished 5-5 overall and was 1-5 in the MIAA in 2021. The Scots started fast, winning all four of their non-conference games by a combined 157-58 margin. AC would drop five of its six MIAA games, including its last four, to finish even on the season.

AC Leaders: The Alma running game is led by RB Vernonell Smith (61 att, 250 yards, 2 TDs in 2021) and RB Tyler Walters (17 att, 80 yards, 1 TD in 2021). QB Trent Devereaux was 97-of-192 passing for 1,202 yards and 15 TDs in 2021. TE Nate Webb (21 rec, 278 yards, 4 TDs in 2021) and WR Noah Johnson (15 rec, 211 yards, 1 TD in 2021) lead the receivers. LB Odin Soffredine, LB Gage Nelson and DB Connor Douma lead the defensive returners with 93, 67 and 42 tackles, respectively.

ONU Returning Statistical Leaders (2021 Stats):

All-Time Series: AC leads the series between the two schools by a 5-3 margin. The two schools have not met since 1977, a 20-14 AC win. The series is tied 2-2 in games played in Ada.