Fighting Scots Post Third Shutout of the Season

Kyle Mueller rushed for a career-high 124 yards and three touchdowns against Denison.

WOOSTER, Ohio - The College of Wooster scored a touchdown in each of its first five possessions en route to an easy 45-0 victory over visiting Denison in a North Coast Athletic Conference game.

The shutout was the third this season for the Scots and marked the first time since 1980 that Wooster has posted three shutouts in one season. For the year, the Scots are allowing only an average of 8.25 points per contest.

Wooster got on the board first at the 9:12 mark of the first quarter, when senior Reggie Ray (Norton, Ohio) capped a six-play, 68-yard drive with a 12-yard reception from junior quarterback (North Olmsted, Ohio) Justin Abraham. After a Denison punt, the Scots went 64 yards on just four plays, as senior Will Schober (Avon) scored on a 39-yard touchdown run.

With 2:12 left in the first quarter, Wooster scored again, as Abraham connected with his other starting receiver Chris Cabot (West Lafayette, Ohio) on a 10-yard touchdown pass.

In the second quarter, Wooster turned to sophomore backup tailback Kyle Mueller (Westlake), who rushed for 90 yards on 13 carries in the period, including touchdown runs of five and three yards to give Wooster a 35-0 halftime lead. The only drive the Scots did not score on in the first half came when the half ran out.

In the third quarter, senior placekicker Ben Arnold (Mansfield, Ohio) connected on a 25-yard field goal, tying a school record with his 18th career field goal. Mueller found the end zone again, this time from 31-yards out, giving him a career-high three touchdowns.

Statistically, Wooster dominated the game, outgaining the Big Red 510-169 for the game. The Scots rushed for 298 yards while throwing for 212. Schober led the ground attack with 127 yards on 18 carries, while Mueller gained 126 yards on 16 rushes. Abraham completed 12-of-21 passes for 177 yards, while Ray caught five passes for 79 yards.

Defensively, the Scots limited Denison to just 61 yards rushing on 36 carries while recording seven sacks. Senior Seth Duerr (Bolivar, Ohio) led Wooster with nine tackles and 1.5 sacks, while senior Brad Horst (Smithville, Ohio) added two sacks.

Jay Boyd paced the Big Red rushing attack with 56 yards on 14 carries, while quarterback Matt Manning came off of the bench to complete 5-of-11 passes for 69 yards.

Wooster, which improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the NCAC, travel to Case Reserve next Saturday before returning home to host Wittenberg November 13. The winner of the Wittenberg-Wooster game will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.