St. Olaf (1-0) vs. Tigers (0-0) - Sept. 8
The big question mark in preseason and the week before DePauw's first game against St. Olaf College was who would start at quarterback. The season opener at Blackstock Stadium revealed the program turned to a freshman from Jonesboro, Ga., to revitalize an offense that saw instability all through the 2011 season. In his first ever collegiate game, Justin Murray couldn't lead the Tigers to a win, but showed off his mobility and his powerful, but sometimes inaccurate, arm. He gained 17 yards on the ground and was 18-35 for 170 yards with one interception. DePauw's defense relinquished 399 yards of offense to St. Olaf.
Final score: L, 31-10
Tigers (0-1) vs. Wittenberg (1-0) - Sept. 15
In DePauw's first NCAC match in the new conference, the opening kickoff went in no way as planned. Senior return-man, Taylor Wagner, fumbled the ball on the catch, and Wittenberg University's special team's players pounced. Wittenberg then scored on their first offensive play - an 11-yard touchdown run. By halftime, the Tigers found themselves in a 42-14 deficit and didn't score for the rest of the game. The next day, Tigers' head coach, Robby Long, was dismissed from his head coaching roll for failing to comply with administrative expectations, and defensive coordinator Scott Srnka was inserted in the interim role.
Final score: L, 52-14
Tigers (0-2) vs. Carnegie Mellon (3-0) - Sept. 22
After more than two decades of being an assistant coach, interim head coach Scott Srnka coached his first game as head of a football program. The team faced a tough battle in Carnegie Mellon University and lost in a shootout that totaled more than 1,000 yards of offense between both teams. For the second-straight week, DePauw's opponent scored on its first offensive play of the game - this time, an 83 yard screen pass. The host Tartans put 30 points on the scoreboard before freshman Murray orchestrated a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by an eight-yard pass to senior tight end Bobby Coburn. The Tartans held the edge in offensive yards - 534-515.
Final score: L, 51-28
Washington (1-3) vs. Tigers (0-3) - Sept. 29
It was a nail-bitter at Blackstock Stadium as DePauw clung to a 17-14 lead over Washington University in St. Louis in the fourth quarter. Murray led the Tigers to 14 first-half points and was able to muster just three in the third quarter. But what the freshman did well in the fourth and final quarter was eat up clock. He led a 17-play drive covering just 54 yards that lasted almost nine minutes. DePauw's defense also stepped up in the final quarter, intercepting back-up Washington John O'Connor twice. DePauw earned its first win of the season in its fifth game which continued a trend all season - slow, methodical drives downfield and a defense prone to giving up big plays.
Final score: W, 17-14
Ohio Wesleyan (4-0) vs. Tigers (1-3) - Oct. 6
Murray finally had the prototypical freshman game - he threw four interceptions and never seemed to be in sync after throwing his firstinterception in the second quarter against Ohio Wesleyan University. But it wasn't just the freshman quarterback who made mistakes. The defensive secondary had two key mental breakdowns, which the Battling Bishops exploited. In the first quarter, Ohio Wesleyan's quarterback, Mason Espinosa, found a wide-open Nick Ziegenbusch on a post route from the left sideline. Ziegenbusch ran straight up the middle of the field untouched for a 66-yard touchdown. With 18 seconds left in the second quarter, Espinosa, rolling out right with no pressure, found a wide-open Dave Mogilnicki in the middle of the field for a 46-yard touchdown. Murray ended the game 21-46 for 164 yards.
Final score: L, 26-22
Tigers (1-4) vs. Allegheny (4-2) - Oct. 13
It came down to the fourth quarter again for the second straight week against Allegheny College. This time, Murray, after a 10-play, 66-yard drive, ran the ball in himself for a 12-yard touchdown. With just 37 seconds left on the clock, DePauw down 22-20, interim head coach Scott Srnka called for a two-point conversion to force overtime. Murray's pass was deflected by an Allegheny defender, and the game ended again with the Tigers counting the number of missed opportunities on offense. The Gators netted just 173 yards of total offense to DePauw's 253. The difference was where Allegheny started each of its scoring drives: DePauw's 37 (field goal), DePauw's 13 (touchdown), DePauw's 49 (field goal) and DePauw's eight on two occasions (touchdown and field goal).
Final score: L, 22-20
Kenyon (3-3) vs. Tigers (1-5) - Oct. 20
For almost three years, opponents were guaranteed a win against Kenyon College. Before this season, the Lords lost 24-straight games. But with a new head coach, Kenyon is an improved team from seasons past. On Oct. 20, fans of DePauw football were shocked that the teams are now evenly matched, and the Lords pulled out a victory over the Old Gold, 21-19. In this game, the Tigers experienced a special teams nightmare, surrendering a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown off the opening punt. Senior kicker Eric Malm missed a PAT and a field goal during the game as well. On offense, however, DePauw used both Justin Murray and Drew Seaman under center, rotating them every other offensive series. The two combined to break a 12-year pass completions record with 45 receptions including a 39-54 performance by Seaman.
Final score: L, 21-19
Tigers (1-6) vs. Wooster (2-6) - Oct. 7
This was a game for the running backs led by junior Armani Cato. The offensive line created holes, and Cato along with freshman Amen Galley put up 189 yards rushing to complement 175 yards passing to end a three-game skid. However, during some stretches, the offense struggled to sustain drives, and after an early first quarter touchdown, the Tigers didn't score again till the third when they were down 9-6. DePauw's defense then stopped the Wooster attack and allowed just one touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Final score: W, 27-16
Denison (2-6) vs. Tigers (2-6) - Nov. 3
After DePauw's most successful running game all season, it had possibly its worst performance against Denison. The running game went backward for negative 13 yards. The passing game led by Drew Seaman and Justin Murray combined for 245 yards. However, with the Tigers leading 12-6 in the second quarter, the Big Red went on a scoring run. Denison scored 33 unanswered points until the fourth quarter when DePauw was in a hole, 39-12.
Final score: L, 39-20
