ADA, Ohio -- The Heidelberg University football team came out on the short end of a back-and-forth Bendekovic Bowl, falling to Ohio Northern University, 34-28. After conceding a touchdown with 38 seconds remaining, Heidelberg resiliently moved the ball down to the ONU 16 yardline. The Student Princes, however, were unable to find the end zone on the game's final play.
The season ends at 6-4 for both teams.
KEY STATS:
In his final game, quarterback
Jimmy Gephart was 24-of-45 for 356 yards and three touchdowns.
Receivers
Maceo Matthews and
Dimitri Penick each went over 100 yards. Matthews had seven receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Penick had a game-high eight catches for 132 yards and a score.
Zach Blackiston had a season-high 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the day.
Tyler Matuszak, playing his final game, had a career-best 12 tackles.
Elijah Brechbill had an interception.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
ONU took an early 7-0 lead on a 10-yard pass from Anthony McFadden to Austin Eick.
On the ensuing drive, Heidelberg moved the ball into the red zone but couldn't convert on 3rd-and-4 from the nine. With The Berg lined up for a field goal attempt, an ONU player jumped offsides, giving the visitors a fresh set of downs. From there,
Montavious Yearby needed two cracks at it to get into the end zone.
Branden Steckel tied the game with the PAT.
The hosts regained the lead with a touchdown on their next possession, capped by an eight-yard run by Christiaan Williams.
On the second play on the following HU drive, Penick caught a pass on the right sideline, made two tacklers miss, then sprinted to the end zone for a 72-yard strike.
Early in the second quarter, ONU faced 4th-and-2 from the Heidelberg 22. Rather than attempt a field goal, the Polar Bears elected to go for it -- and were stuffed at the line of scrimmage by Matuszak and
Patrick McCarthy.
Later in the period, ONU retook the lead with a 51-yard pass from McFadden to Eick.
Gephart threw the ball seven straight times on the next possession, completing them all. Matthews took a pass in the right flat, avoided three Polar Bear defenders, and danced into the end zone. For the third time, Steckel tied the game with the point after.
Late in the second quarter, HU faced 4th-and-1 at the ONU 9. The Berg elected to go for it, but Yearby was swallowed up at the line of scrimmage. The game remained tied at 21 at halftime.
Matthews opened up the scoring in the third quarter with a nice 69-yard catch-and-run down the left side. Steckel's PAT gave The Berg a 28-21 lead.
The advantage was short-lived. An eight-play, 64-yard drive ended with a 24-yard McFadden rush for the touchdown. Dom DiFalco added the game-tying PAT.
A 'Berg fumble on the next possession gave ONU a short field. An Eick catch gave the Polar Bears 1st-and-goal from the one.
Brandon Magee stopped Brock Martin on first down.
Dylan Marder and Damonte Richmond stuffed McFadden on second down. Marder and McCarthy stopped Martin in the backfield on third down. On fourth down, DiFalco hammered the left upright with a chip-shot field goal -- and Heidelberg had escaped.
Early in the fourth quarter,
Loren Sauve forced a fumble that was recovered by Marder at the ONU 29. Instead of points, Heidelberg was forced to punt after Gephart was brought down for a 25-yard sack.
The Berg's defense came up big once again. With
Parker Smith's punt pinning ONU deep in their own end, McFadden was intercepted by Brechbill. Brechbill ran out at the 13, but a 15-yard personal foul forced HU backwards.
Jace Grossman moved the ball down to the 15 yardline. On first down, Gephart was brought down from behind on a scramble and the ball came loose. ONU pounced on the ball, which was ruled a fumble.
After ONU punted the ball back to Heidelberg, Gephart and company moved the ball back down the field. On 4th-and-2 from the 13 with 6:22 to play, HU opted to try for a field goal. The attempt, however, sailed wide left.
Neither team was able to score on their next possessions. With 2:57, ONU took possession at their own five. The Polar Bears moved the ball down the field, aided by a big 36-yard completion to Eick. With 38 seconds to play, McFadden squirted into the end zone on a 12-yard scramble. DiFalco's kick missed -- and ONU led 34-28.
Tramon Wiley returned the ensuing kick to the 30, with 15 more yards added because of an ONU personal foul. Gephart hit Matthews for passes of 18 yards and 20 yards on the first two plays from scrimmage. After an incompletion, Gephart scrambled for a yard then called for timeout with three seconds left. On the final play of the game, Gephart was pressured and threw the ball into the front right corner of the end zone. Intended for
Keivon Belcher, the ball harmlessly landed on the turf -- sealing the win for Ohio Northern.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
With three touchdowns, Gephart set a school record for TD passes in a season. His mark of 29 passed Michael Mees, who threw 28 touchdowns in 2014.
Matthews had touchdown receptions in all nine games he played this season. He finished with 895 yards.
Yearby's freshman campaign closed with 11 touchdowns and 926 yards rushing -- the most by a Heidelberg freshman since Germany Woods had 1,034 in 2010. .
FOR THE OPPONENT:
ONU quarterback Anthony McFadden was 17-for-27 for 346 yards with two touchdowns and a pick … On the ground, McFadden ran the ball 21 times for two scores on 71 yards … Christiaan Williams finished with 103 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries … Receiver Austin Eick had six grabs for 184 yards and two touchdowns.
BENDO BOWL:
The annual Berg-ONU game is known as the Bendekovic Bowl. The Bendo Bowl is played in memory of the late Ronnie and Jason Bendekovic. Ronnie was an assistant coach at ONU at the time of his passing in 2005. Jason worked at Heidelberg when he passed away in 2010. Heidelberg holds a 7-2 edge in the series.
INJURY UPDATE:
Midway through the second quarter,
Jayden Stanton was injured making a tackle. Out of an abundance of caution, he was taken by ambulance to the local hospital. We are happy to report that he is doing well.
