Late score proves costly as Football drops 21-17 decision to Marietta

ADA —  Marietta scored a touchdown with 5:33 left in the game and held on for a tight 21-17 football victory over Ohio Northern on a beautiful Homecoming Saturday at Dial-Roberson Stadium.

The Basics

• Records: Ohio Northern (2-6, 2-5 OAC), Marietta (6-2, 5-2 OAC)
• Venue: Dial-Roberson Stadium - Ada, Ohio

The Game

• Ohio Northern's defense had its second consecutive solid performance, limiting the Pioneers to only 331 yards of total offense.
• ONU out-gained MC 191-132 on the ground as sophomore Louis Blasiole (Mantua/Crestwood) and freshman Jordan Pettaway (Oregon/Clay) ran for 172 yards on 28 carries combined.
• Blasiole carried 18 times for 90 yards and Pettaway ran 10 times for 82 yards, including an impressive 52-yard touchdown that tied the game at 7-7 with 6:29 left in the second quarter.
• Junior Jonmichael Elliott (Richmond, Va./Clover Hill) made it 10-7 with a 38-yard field goal with 10:19 left in the third quarter.
• Marietta went up 14-10 with a touchdown at the 3:18 mark of the third.
• Junior Brennon Norris (Steubenville/Indian Creek) then hit senior Noah Miller (Coldwater) on a 4-yard touchdown pass to give ONU a 17-14 lead with 9:24 left in the contest.
• The Pioneers answered with a 6-play, 65-yard drive to go up 21-17 with a touchdown with 5:33 left in the game.
• Northern would pick up one first down on its ensuing drive, but were forced to punt with 3:24 remaining.
• MC then picked up two first downs and ran out the clock.
• Norris finished the game 12-of-20 passing for 112 yards and a score.
• Defensively, sophomore Cooper Braden (Orange City, Fla./University) had a career-high 13 tackles and an interception and junior Dalton Tjong (Cumming, Ga./West Forsyth) had 12 tackles for Ohio Northern.
• Junior Jordan Dean (Euclid/Villa Angela-Saint Joseph) caught four passes for 71 yards.
• MU out-gained MC in total offense 331-303.

Notables5

• Dean Paul is in his 20th season as head coach of the Polar Bears with a 119-77 career record at ONU.
• Today's game was part of Homecoming Weekend at Ohio Northern.
• Senior Josh Bever (Ashland) now has 36 career sacks in 42 career games. He ranks second all-time in ONU history. All-American and 10-year NFL veteran Jason Trusnik holds the school record with 43.0 sacks from 2002-06.
• Bever is also second in ONU history with 52.5 TFL in his career.

Up Next

• The Polar Bears will wrap up its home schedule on Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. contest against Otterbein at Dial-Roberson Stadium.