Baldwin Wallace rallies past Football 35-31 in a game of big plays

By Tim Glon

BEREA — In a game full of big plays, Baldwin Wallace completed TD passes of 84 and 75 yards in the final eight minutes to rally past Ohio Northern 35-31 in an Ohio Athletic Conference football game on Saturday at Finnie Stadium.

The Polar Bears fall to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Yellow Jackets improve to 2-2, 2-1.

Senior Dom DiFalco (Murraysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) drilled a 43-yard field goal at the 8:04 mark of the fourth quarter to give the Polar Bears a 31-21 lead.

The hosts answered immediately with an 84-yard touchdown pass and it was 31-28 with 7:41 left in the game.

BW took a 35-31 lead with 4:01 to play on a 75-yard touchdown pass.

After an exchange of possessions, Northern drove into BW territory in the final minute, but time expired with ONU at the BW 35-yard line.

Freshman Adan Figueroa (Orange City, Fla./University) finished the day 13-of-27 passing for 111 yards and two TDs and ran 13 times for 50 yards in his first career start for ONU.

BW scored on the opening kickoff, scooping up a fumble and returning it 11 yards for a touchdown just seven seconds into the game.

A special teams mistake led to ONU's equalizer, as senior Jacob Cowan (Lima/Shawnee) recovered a muffed punt at the BW 16-yard line. That set up a 4-yard touchdown pass from Figueroa to senior All-American Brock Martin (Attica/Seneca East) and it was 7-all with 6:03 left in the opening quarter.

Sophomore Austin Colon (Cumming, Ga./North Forsyth) gave ONU a 14-7 lead just three plays later with a 72-yard pick-6 and it was 14-7 with 5:01 to go in the first period.

A 48-yard interception return by sophomore Dalton Tjong (Cumming, Ga./North Forsyth) put Northern on the BW 22-yard line, setting up an 11-yard TD pass from Figueroa to senior Davey Berner (New Carlisle/Tecumseh) and it was 21-7 Polar Bears with 3:49 left in the half.

An interception gave BW the ball at ONU's 15-yard line and the hosts pulled within 21-14 one play later with 1:03 left in the half.

On their first possession of the third quarter, the Polar Bears marched 59 yards in five plays and went ahead 28-14 when senior Jamir Nunley (Cleveland/Mayfield) scampered in from 27 yards out with 11:38 left in the period.

"To get behind the way we did and come back and battle back to take control of the game showed the character of our guys," ONU head coach Dean Paul said. "We played well for the most part, but we needed to make a couple more plays. We had some good moments that we can build on, but it is frustrating to come that close and have it slip away."

Tjong tied his career-high 13 tackles to go with his interception to lead the ONU defense.

BW outgained Ohio Northern 389-285 in total offense.

The Polar Bears will return to action next Saturday with a 1:30 pm home contest with No. 3-ranked Mount Union at Dial-Roberson Stadium.