Welcome back to the Scot Rewind, where WoosterAthletics.com is taking a look back at a big win, a monster individual performance, or a significant milestone corresponding with each week of the 2020-2021 academic year. This week's rewind takes us back to the 2004 football season and The College of Wooster's 24-6 win over Ohio Wesleyan University, which guaranteed the program its first berth in the NCAA Div. III Playoffs. Here's the recap from the signature win in 2004.
Wooster's football team is headed to the postseason for the first time in school history, using a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull away from Ohio Wesleyan 24-6 on Saturday afternoon in the de-facto North Coast Athletic Conference championship game. While Wooster had already clinched a share of the title going into it, the winner was guaranteed the NCAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Div. III Playoffs.
Ohio Wesleyan (5-5, 5-2 NCAC) held the Scots' explosive offense, which was averaging 48.7 points and 488.2 yards per game coming in, in check for most of the first three quarters. However, on the last play of the third quarter, Justin Schafer connected with Richie McNally down the right sideline for 41 yards, moving the ball to the Battling Bishops' 12-yard line.
Two penalties and a rush for no gain to start the fourth quarter pushed Wooster back to the 26, but Schafer then made the biggest play of the contest to that point, avoiding a sack and finding tight end Mike Vyrostek, who caught the ball around the two-yard line and then broke a tackle for his first career touchdown.
Trailing 17-6, Ohio Wesleyan appeared as if it was going to answer the Scots' score, driving 69 yards to the Wooster one-yard line. On first-and-goal, though, quarterback Ryan Sir Louis had trouble handling the snap and Bobby Vega pounced on it for the game's only turnover.
With 9:04 remaining in regulation, the Scots then began to work on the clock. Wooster ran the ball seven-straight plays, making two first downs before having to punt it away.
The Bishops got the ball back at their own 27 with less than five minutes to play. Two incompletions followed by an Ohio Wesleyan unsportsmanlike conduct foul made it third-and-23. The Bishops did get a 10-yard pass play on third down, but were unable to convert on fourth-and-long.
On the very next play, Tony Sutton sealed the Scots first perfect regular season since 1923 (9-0), first outright conference championship since 1934 (Ohio Athletic Conference), and first-ever berth into the NCAA Div. III Playoffs, when he took the handoff up the middle, veered left, and went 24 yards into the end zone, making it 24-6 with 3:51 to play.
Sutton posted the 11th 200-yard rushing game of his career, finishing with 208 yards on 37 carries, while becoming the NCAC's career rushing leader (5,248). He also set the league's single-season mark for all-purpose yards (2,221) Saturday.
Schafer accounted for Wooster's lone first-half touchdown, running one in from two yards out late in the first quarter to give the Scots a 7-0 lead. He completed 7-of-16 passes for 116 yards on the day, with his top target being McNally, who totaled 86 receiving yards on five catches. McNally also converted a 38-yard field goal attempt late in the second half to put Wooster up 10-6 at the break.
For the Bishops, Sir Louis was 15-of-32 through the air for 185 yards, including a second-quarter touchdown pass to Jody Vasileff. Sir Louis added 58 yards on the ground, while Nick Rice accounted for team-highs in both rushing (61 on five carries) and receiving (60 on five receptions).
Ohio Wesleyan became the second team to outgain the Scots in 2004, concluding with 339 yards to 323 yards.
A week later, touchdown runs of 41 and 31 yards by Sutton within a span of 1:30 late in the fourth quarter broke open a 27-27 tie and propelled Wooster to a 41-34 victory over Aurora University in a first-round NCAA Div. III playoff game at John P. Papp Stadium. Wooster bowed out of the Div. III Championships in the second round, when the Scots fell to Carthage College 14-7.
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