#5 Capital 57, Wittenberg 7
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)--Capital University's football team, ranked No, 5 in the nation, picked up in the 2006 right where they left off in 2005 with a 57-7 rout of Wittenberg University Saturday in Columbus.
A pair of Capital seniors also picked up where they left off last season as runningback Jeremy Mulkey (Dublin/Dublin Coffman) rushed for a career-high four touchdowns as he had a game-high 78 yards on 17 carries, while quarterback Rocky Pentello (Columbus/Westerville South) was 25-of-32 for 334 yards and three touchdown passes.
One thing that did change was Pentello's favorite target, with his two top receivers from a year ago gone he found junior transfer Derrick Alexander (Grove City/Grove City), who in his first game at Capital, had a game-high seven receptions for 106 yards. Senior Graham Holmberg (Newark/Newark) had four catches for 76 yards as Pentello hit 11 total receivers.
All in all the Crusader offense generated 511 yards of total offense, while the Capital defense was equally impressive holding Wittenberg to 99 total yards, 69 of those coming on a late fourth quarter drive that resulted in their lone score, a seven-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback Aaron Huffman. Sophomore linebacker Pete Ankrom (Springfield/Springfield North) and junior defensive lineman Eric Andriacco (Cincinnati/Elder) each had a team-high six tackles.
Mulkey got things going for Capital with a five-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. On the ensuing drive sophomore Tony Hessel (Englewood/Northmont) blocked a Wittenberg punt that through the endzone for a safety to make it 9-0. Capital got the ball back and five plays later Pentello hit Alexander from 19 yards out to make it 16-0 at the end of the first quarter.
On the first possesion of the second quarter, Pentello hit senior tight end Dylan Kelly (Hilliard/Hilliard Darby) from 17 yards out taking the score to 23-0. Wittenberg then fumbled the ball away on its first offensive play of the next drive and three plays later Mulkey ran in from a yard out and a missed extra point made it 29-0 with 11:10 left in quarter. Holmberg caught a three-yard touchdown pass and Mulkey punched another one in, this time from four yards, to make it 43-0 at halftime.
Mulkey got his fourth rushing touchdown on the first drive of the second half to take the lead to 50-7 with 12:38 in the third quarter. Senior runningback Charlie Smith (Westerville/Big Walnut) finished the scoring for Capital with a 30-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
For Capital it is the third straight season opening win over Wittenberg. The Crusaders have dominated the series outscoring the Tigers, 160-23.
Capital has next week off before opening Ohio Athletic Conference play against Wilmington College on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 1:30 p.m. in Bernlohr Stadium.