DePauw hopes to get their first win of their very young season this Saturday, against the Wittenberg University Tigers.
Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at the newly-renovated Blackstock Stadium. Both teams are looking to improve upon their first games of the season, which resulted in a loss for both squads.
DePauw lost a close game on the road to Sewanee: University of the South 10-7. Costly turnovers and penalties hurt the Tigers' chances of coming out with a victory, according to head coach Bill Lynch.
"Turnovers on offense are what really hurt us ... but the key is how you respond to these mistakes," Lynch said. "Having the bye week, I think we were able to clean these things up."
Despite the losing effort, there were some positives in the game. Defense held the Sewanee team that put up 30 points against DePauw in their meeting last year between to only 10 points.
"I think overall the defense played really well," Lynch said. "That's a tough offense to play against it, and I thought our kids really handled it well."
Wittenberg's opening game was not as close, falling to Butler University 49-24, in a game which they gave up 35 consecutive points without an answer. Wittenberg also committed five turnovers on offense, including three fumbles lost, something the Tigers could exploit in the upcoming game. DePauw forced Sewanee into giving up four fumbles.
One difference from last year's team is the usage of only one quarterback in the opening game. Last year both sophomore Justin Murray and junior Drew Seaman split the time throughout most of the season. This dual quarterback threat was not seen in the first game of the season, in which Murray started and played the entirety of the game. The coaching staff has still not made a final decision on their starting quarterback.
"I thought overall Justin [Murray] played well [against Sewanee]...I thought he ran the ball hard," Lynch said. "We haven't made a decision right now... but Justin [Murray] will certainly start it."
The excitement is certainly in the air as DePauw looks to show off this brand-new team for the first time to the fans. Stevie Baker-Watson, the athletic director, is ready to see the Tigers play at home.
"Wittenberg is tough, they're the pre-season favorite in the NCAC," Baker-Watson said. "They have a very talented coach. Bill [Lynch] and his staff have prepared his student athletes to play against them. But everyone is excited. There's a new coaching staff, a new field, there's butterflies. We're ready to welcome them home and let them play."
Fans are encouraged to come out in waves and support the new look on the field. You can also watch the game live online on the DePauw Football athletics page or listen live on WGRE 91.5.