Down went Wittenberg University again, as The College of Wooster football team dominated this year's matchup against its archrival, winning 21-3 on Saturday afternoon at John P. Papp Stadium.

Wooster's defense locked up Wittenberg all first half, as the Tigers did not even average a yard per play, totaling 24 net yards on 33 offensive snaps. Just one of Wittenberg's eight first-half drives went for more than 10 yards.

Wittenberg's second drive of the game stalled when junior linebacker Cam Crago and first-year defensive lineman Jacob Dudek blitzed into the backfield and dumped Camren West for an 11-yard sack on third down. The Tigers were set back 19 more stripes on their next series, as West and Gerald Banks botched a pitched handoff, resulting in a 19-yard fumble that Wooster senior linebacker Christian Kring recovered.

Amped up by the takeaway, junior running back Austin Fancher rushed 10 yards, giving Wooster a first down on Wittenberg's 3-yard line. Next, sophomore quarterback Damon Hooks fooled the Tigers on the play fake and rushed in from three yards out for the game's first score at the 5:43 mark of the first.

Wittenberg's lone good possession was driven by West's playmaking with his feet coming out of halftime. The Tigers' quarterback's 12- and 21-yard rushes pushed Wittenberg into field goal range, where they settled for a 34-yard Parker Leffel boot that trimmed Wooster's lead to 7-3 at 7:22 of the third.

Wittenberg took its shots on the opening drive of the second half before having to settle for Leffel's field goal, and Wooster's defense stepped up. Senior defensive lineman Donovon Jackson and junior defensive lineman Quan Russell stuffed Banks in the backfield for a 1-yard loss after the Tigers reached the Scots' 16. Senior defensive back Brock Sivon broke up a pass intended for Lucas Swierk at the Scots' 3-yard line on second down, then West's third-down pass was well off target.

In the fourth, Kring had West wrapped up and nearly tackled, but sophomore defensive back Grady Harban's clean-up hit jarred the football free. Sivon recovered the fumble at Wooster's 24-yard line, and three plays later, junior wideout Chance Bennett held off chasing Tigers for a 65-yard touchdown reception. Sophomore Nolan Hendricks' extra point made it a 14-3 game with 10:31 to go.

The cherry on top came during Wooster's clock-milking 16-play, 88-yard drive that burned 7:04 in the fourth. Facing fourth down, Wooster elected to go for it, turning the trick well. Hooks handed off to Bennett before taking off for the end zone. He was wide open after Bennett gave the ball to first-year wideout Logan Hupp, whose 7-yard touchdown pass, plus Hendricks' kick, made it 21-3 in the final minute.

Wooster's ability to move the chains on the ground was vital in the win, as the Scots' passing game was kept in check. Fancher rushed 27 times for 96 yards, and Hooks added 21 yards rushing. Hooks went 7-of-20 for 133 yards passing. Bennett was the leading wideout with 71 yards on two catches.

Defensively, Sivon's 12 tackles led all players. He had two breakups, a fumble recovery, and a tackle-for-loss. Of note, he is the first Wooster player to beat Wittenberg three teams in his career since the 1910s, when the Scots won the first six meetings in the series from 1912-16.

Junior Charlie Scoggin followed with 10 tackles, while Dudek made seven tackles, had 1.5 sacks, and forced a fumble in the third quarter.

West rushed for 92 yards on 19 carries from the quarterback position. He was just 6-of-20 passing for 56 and only had a pair of completions in the first half. Those both came on little 1-yard pitch passes to a wideout running between the line and quarterback immediately after the snap. Wooster snuffed both out, holding Ora Farlow to just six yards across the two receptions.

CJ Crawford was Wittenberg's defensive force, logging eight tackles, two of which went for loss. He had one of the Tigers' two sacks on the afternoon.

Wittenberg outgained Wooster 266-257. The teams combined to go 8-for-29 on third down and punted 14 times.

This is the first time Wooster has beaten Wittenberg in consecutive years since the 1948-49 seasons. Wooster is now 3-5 and 3-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Wittenberg is 0-8, 0-7 NCAC.

Next, Wooster hosts No. 25 DePauw University (7-1, 6-1 NCAC) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 7. The team will honor its senior class at approximately 12:30 p.m.