(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Capital University’s football team turned away a late two-point conversion, and the Crusaders held on for a 17-16 win over Baldwin-Wallace College in the final game of the Ohio Athletic Conference’s regular season Saturday in Bernlohr Stadium.
Capital (8-2, 7-2 OAC) must wait until 11:30 a.m. Sunday to find out if it received an at-large into the NCAA Playoffs for a third consecutive season. The selections will be announced LIVE on television on ESPNU. Baldwin-Wallace concludes its season at 6-4 (5-4 OAC).
Late in the fourth, the Yellow Jackets drove 86 yards in just 1:35 and scored on a deflected pass from quarterback Mickey Mental that found its way into the hands of John McGraw for a 28-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left. B-W opted to go for two points and the lead, but Mental’s pass fell incomplete, and the Crusaders recovered the onside kick to hold on for the victory.
Capital took a 17-10 lead as senior quarterback Robbie Thayer (Powell/Olentangy) found junior tight end Mando Ancona (Johnstown/Johnstown Monroe) for a 35-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter. Thayer, making his first career start, finished with 173 yards on 14-of-23 passing and an interception.
The Crusaders scored on their opening possession of the game behind the running of senior Zac McKenzie (Hilliard/Hilliard Darby), who made his first start in the backfield after playing eight games at defensive end. McKenzie ran off the right side for 37 yards, the longest rush of the season for Capital, to the B-W four yard line, and three plays later he scored to give the Crusaders a 7-0 lead.
Baldwin-Wallace answered with a field goal, but the Crusaders put together an 18-play, 74-yard drive that chewed up 8:41 off the clock that was capped off by a 37-yard field goal from senior Matt Spitz (Xenia/Xenia) to give Capital a 10-3 lead heading into the break.
A 58-yard fumble recovery by Darren Cereshko set up the Yellow Jackets’ first touchdown drive in the second half, as B-W took over on Capital’s 15 and Mental scored on a two-yard run to tie the game at 10 with 10:03 left in the third.
McKenzie finished with game-highs with 72 yards rushing on 37 carries. Ancona caught five balls for 89 yards, and freshman Ryan Gunnarson (Loveland/Loveland) had a game-high seven receptions for 67 yards. Defensively, senior tackle Jonathan Spring (Maple Heights/Trinity) and sophomore safety Ronnie Smith (Columbus/Columbus DeSales) had team-highs with 10 tackles, while Spring also recovered a fumble and recorded a sack. Senior corner James Starks (Toledo/St. Francis) made five tackles and had a key interception to stop a Yellow Jackets drive with 3:01 left in the game.