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The Capital University football team looks to rebound from an opening-day loss in its Ohio Athletic Conference opener against Marietta this Saturday at Bernlohr Stadium at 2 p.m.
The Crusaders (0-1 overall) fell behind 37-3 through two and a half quarters in their season opener on Sept. 1, eventually falling 44-17 against non-conference rival Wittenberg at Bernlohr.
"I told our guys this can't happen again," Capital coach Henry Stanford said. "At the same time, I told them we're back to a 0-0 record this week in the OAC."
Capital had a strong second-half performance, posting 206 yards offensively after being held to 31 in the first. In addition, freshman running back Bo Hardy (13 carries, 92 yards, 1 touchdown) and junior wide receiver Alex Coleman (184 all-purpose yards, 1 receiving TD) posted strong individual performances.
"Bo is doing everything we expect him to do," Stanford said. "He can be a dominant running back between the tackles or on the edge. He has the DNA to carry the load … we also have to make sure he's good with his routes and passing protection, just as we do with all freshmen."
Making his first start since an injury sidelined him last season, junior quarterback Ryan Kremchek (Sylvania, Ohio) completed 12-of-28 passes for 77 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.
"Ryan's just getting comfortable," Stanford said. "The last time he was on the field, he got injured, so it took him a while to get into the game."
The Crusaders will need to eliminate miscues Saturday to avoid their second straight home defeat. Against Wittenberg, Capital committed six turnovers and had a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.
Stanford hopes the bye week helped the team not only recover from injuries sustained in Week 1 but refocus as well.
"Having the bye week after our first game is a good thing in our setting," Stanford said. "We kind of reinvented the wheel and retaught everything. Our greatest improvements should happen between the first and second games. Some guys have jitters playing in the opener, and it's good for them to see film as they adjust to new players and new positions."
Marietta (0-1) nearly came back to defeat defending University Athletic Association (UAA) champion Case Western Reserve, but fell just short in a 26-23 defeat on Sept. 1 at Marietta. After scoring the first 10 points of the contest, the Tigers surrendered 26 unanswered points before making a game of it by scoring twice in the final 6:30 of the game.
In total, Marietta passed for 333 yards but was held to minus-3 on the ground. Quarterback Tom Fulton completed 21-of-37 passes with three touchdowns against just one interception. Wide receivers Tannon Roberts and Kirby Harris each had six receptions for 142 and 109 yards, respectively. Harris, a 2011 second team All-OAC selection, also caught a touchdown, while fellow receiver Linard Williams had two receiving scores.
"The great thing about the OAC is that every team you play is a quality opponent," Stanford said. "Fulton throws a good ball and their wide receiver tandem (of Roberts and Harris) is as good as any in the conference."
Linebacker Jake Hammer led the Tigers' defense with 15 tackles, while defensive back Robert Brown totaled 11 tackles and an interception. Marietta allowed 219 yards rushing at a clip of 5.1 yards per rush.
"Marietta's running a new defense," Stanford said. "They've switched from a '4-3' to a '3-4', and at times, that can be a dramatic change. It will definitely be an experiment for us."
Last season, the Crusaders played a near-perfect game on both sides of the ball, outgaining the Pioneers 372-270 while committing no turnovers in a 24-3 victory on Nov. 12, 2011, at Marietta. Capital sacked Pioneers quarterback Andrew Keller eight times and scored 14 points in the last half of the fourth quarter to blow open a tightly-contested game.
The Crusaders hope for more of the same this Saturday in the first of five OAC affairs at Bernlohr Stadium.
"Our goals are the same as they are in any week," Stanford said. "We have to win the turnover battle, win the line of scrimmage and win the hustle battle. We didn't match the emotion and intensity of Wittenberg in the first week … we have to match Marietta's on Saturday."
