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The Capital University football team seeks a 2-0 start to the Ohio Athletic Conference season for the second consecutive year this Saturday at Ohio Northern for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff in Ada, Ohio.
The Crusaders (1-1 overall, 1-0 OAC) started off the conference season on the right note Saturday with a gritty 13-7 victory over Marietta. Capital rolled up 255 yards rushing, possessed the ball for more than 36 minutes and held the Pioneers to just 88 yards of total offense.
To put it in perspective, Marietta gained more on one play – a 91-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter – than it did in 12 other possessions.
Freshman running back Bo Hardy (Galloway, Ohio) showed his first game against Wittenberg (13 carries, 92 yards) was no fluke, totaling 36 carries for 197 hard-earned yards. He came within four carries and 43 yards of setting school records for rushing attempts and rushing yards in one contest.
"Bo has great patience and great vision," Capital coach Henry Stanford said. "He knows when to shift it into gear and add a little bit of explosion. He has that knack of a slow-to-fast kind of pace, where he can turn it on if he sees a crease.
Like the offensive line, the Crusaders' defensive line, an eight-man, senior-laden rotation, controlled the line of scrimmage. Senior Nate Nasrallah (Norton, Ohio) led the way with 10 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss, while classmate Jay Bondzeleske (Columbus, Ohio) tallied six tackles and two sacks. Senior Seth Nelson (Columbus, Ohio) recovered a key fumble late in the third quarter.
Sophomore kicker Travis Bosanac (Strongsville, Ohio) bolstered the special teams with field goals from 33 and 45 yards out. Counting his extra point after senior running back Casey Meridieth's 10-yard touchdown catch, Bosanac accounted for more than half of Capital's points. He was named OAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts.
Sophomore punter Joseph Riley (Twinsburg, Ohio) was also strong, pinning the Pioneers inside their 20-yard line three times.
"If we gave out game balls, we would have given them to Travis and Joseph," Stanford said. "Joseph pinned Marietta deep two or three times, and Travis hit two long field goals, one that helped us ice the game."
Junior quarterback Ryan Kremchek (Sylvania, Ohio) finished 12-of-25 for 122 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Ohio Northern (0-2, 0-1) surrendered 607 yards of total offense in a 43-7 defeat against Heidelberg on Saturday in Ada. The Polar Bears, who trailed just 14-7 at the half, committed five turnovers, including four interceptions, and completed just 13-of-39 passes. ONU quarterbacks were sacked six times in the affair.
Running back Devian McKennie led the Polar Bears with 85 total yards (50 rushing) and scored the team's lone touchdown of the game on a 35-yard reception from quarterback Tyler Rue. Linebacker Joe Powell led the defense with 10 tackles, while defensive back Chance Moore tallied eight solo stops and an interception.
Four all-conference selections, including three on offense, highlight ONU's returning core of 14 starters and 45 letterwinners from 2011.
"Ohio Northern is a tough, physical team, and it's always a tough place to play," Stanford said. "Offensively, they run the no-huddle and provide multiple formations. Defensively, they have a number of different blitzes and combinations up front, and they're always sound on special teams."
Last season, the Crusaders totaled 497 yards of offense but turned the ball over five times in a 38-20 defeat at Bernlohr Stadium on Oct. 8, 2011. Wide receiver Matt White's school-record 16 receptions for 189 yards wasn't quite enough on Homecoming Saturday at Capital.
Ohio Northern took a 24-7 lead before Capital cut its deficit to 24-14 thanks to a 47-yard touchdown run by running back Josh Anderson with 5:38 left in the first half. The Polar Bears took advantage of a Crusader turnover midway through the third quarter to regain control of the contest.
Wide receiver Alex Coleman caught seven passes for 91 yards, while Kremchek completed 19-of-39 for 258 yards. Anderson ran for 54 yards and two scores, while wide receiver Ryan Williams registered four receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Linebacker Troy Spiker led the defense with 12 tackles, while defensive back Domenic Hebebrand posted 11 stops.
As with any league contest, Capital will need to be solid in all three phases against an Ohio Northern team seething after last week's home defeat.
"I'm sure Ohio Northern is like any other team in that they're prideful within their program," Stanford said. "So I'm assuming they'll want to come out and play well."
