DePauw’s football team picked up another big conference win and honored their stellar senior class all in one fantastic day on Oct. 26. With the win, the Tigers moved to 7-0 on the year, cementing their place at the top of the NCAC standings, and inside Division III’s top 25 teams.
As has been a common theme throughout the year, DePauw began the game playing stifling, high-intensity defense that Wittenberg simply couldn’t live with. The visitors' first five offensive possessions, which remarkably produced just 17 yards of total offense, were all swift 3-and-outs resulting in punts. After regaining the ball from the second of those unsuccessful drives DePauw’s offense seized the opportunity of good field position and marched down the field to take the lead.
After a few drive starting carries by running-back Caden Whitehead ‘26, DePauw quarterback Nate McCahill ‘25 took a deep shot to trusty tight-end Gabe Quigley ‘24, setting the Tigers up at the Witt 15 following a gain of 40. McCahill then found star receiver Robby Ballentine ‘26 in the endzone, giving the team a lead they would hold with ease for the rest of the contest. The McCahill to Ballentine connection has been well established throughout the season, yet still, no team has managed to shut it down, with the pair combining for a touchdown in every single game, and totalling a remarkable 13 now on the year.
With the defense remaining resolute throughout the rest of the half, DePauw’s offense was able to get into a fantastic rhythm, dominating time of possession, and controlling the game both at the front, and in the secondary. The balance, poise and calm confidence of the Tigers offense was truly a pleasure to watch for those in attendance at Blackstock Stadium, as they moved the ball up and down with ease.
McCahill found Frankie Riccardi ‘27, Ballentine again, and then Lleyton Lukowski ‘26 for three more first half scores to put up 31 points at the interval. The drive just before half that ended with Lukowski in the endzone was surely particularly pleasing for Head Coach Brett Dietz and his staff, as it demonstrated near-perfect game and clock management, a surefire quality amongst elite teams.
The second half of the game was certainly less spectacular, but showed off DePauw’s solidity and ability to dominate a game. The Tigers controlled the clock through their relentless running game, with the highlight being a 6-yard touchdown run from Carson Johnson ‘27, and the defense limited Wittenberg to just 10 points, even as some of the starters were taken out of the game late.
Wittenberg proved a tricky opponent for DePauw last year, forcing the Tigers to overtime before conceding a 41-35 victory, but this year they were simply completely overwhelmed. That’s testament to DePauw’s continuous improvement in the last four years, and the evolution of the program into a serious contender in that time.
The dominant win was undoubtedly the perfect way to celebrate what has been a simply stellar senior class. Their impact is frankly impossible to overstate, with high impact players all over the field on both sides of the ball who have driven success both with their excellent play and strong leadership. The program was yet to win an NCAC conference championship when this class arrived for camp in August of 2021. These seniors now have three rings, and sit just two wins short of a fourth. They’ve also had numerous all conference selections, taken DePauw inside the nation’s top 10, and won two Monon Bell games, including possibly the most exciting game in the rivalry’s history last year.
It is a remarkable list of achievements, and a legacy that will live on long after these seniors graduate, so the opportunity to celebrate them was surely greatly appreciated by everyone associated with the program. The focus of that excellent group, though, remains on pushing hard to end the season and going beyond what DePauw Football has ever managed in the past. A win against Wabash to keep the Bell and win another NCAC title is priority one, but the question of what is perhaps possible beyond that surely beckons.
Their well earnt ranking of #8, and the fact that DePauw have demolished every team they’ve encountered this year surely hints at the possibility of the Tigers making a deep run in the national tournament. Certainly everyone will go one game at a time, but it would be a truly fitting achievement by the graduating seniors if they could keep the season alive into December. Just how far the Tigers can go remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt the sky is very much the limit.