The DePauw football team went into its Memphis, Tennessee match against the Rhodes College Lynx with a confident swagger, ready to face a Rhodes team that had been outscored 110-28 in its first two contests against Washington University in St. Louis and Trinity University.
With a new head coach in Dan Gritti, only six senior starters and new all-black uniforms, the Lynx football team defeated DePauw 24-14, led by senior quarterback Brett Stoots.
"The sky has not fallen. We lost a football game today," said DePauw head coach Robby Long. "We've still got six more on our schedule, and we've got to prepare for the next one and get a win."
The Tigers (1-2) and the Lynx (1-2) were grid locked the entire first quarter in a defensive battle that only yielded 145 total yards combined.
Rhodes struck first with 12 minutes 11 seconds left in the second quarter on its own 20 yard line, when senior quarterback Brett Stoots tossed a screen pass to fullback Dane Wilson who broke a series of tackles on his way to an 80-yard touchdown.
Rhodes kept the lead the rest of the contest, holding DePauw to limited completions through the air. DePauw quarterback Ethan Schweir was 14 for 26 in passing with one interception in the game.
The second quarter yielded the best opportunities for the DePauw offense to put points on the board. Nose guard Patrick Keller recovered a fumble on the DePauw 17 yard line, and linebacker Matt Johnson returned an interception 22 yards to the Rhodes 46. Robby Schuler intercepted another Stoots pass at the DePauw 42, en route to three consecutive turnovers forced by the DePauw defense.
The Tiger offense struggled throughout the game, most notably on third and short situations, 0-8 in the first half on third down and only 5-15 overall.
"You want to put yourself in the best position on third down and come through and convert it," Long said. "I'd have to look at the film to see the things we were or were not doing on third down, but I know we weren't converting them."
DePauw could not capitalize on key forced turnovers and numerous offensive drives in Rhodes' territory. The Tigers failed to score in the first half, trailing 7-0 at halftime.
DePauw didn't fare much better in the second 30 minutes as the Lynx imposed their will offensively. Previously a third string quarterback, Brett Stoots replaced junior Tyler Perkins after the first offensive series and found a strong rhythm in the second half with receiver Buddy Legens and fullback Dane Wilson.
After a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter by Rhodes kicker Lukas Stockhausen, Stoots threw his second touchdown of the game to Dane Wilson for a nine-yard touchdown, extending the Rhodes lead to 17 points with 12:10 left in the fourth quarter.
Ethan Schweir, on the next offensive drive, left the game with an ACL injury after taking a big hit during a five-yard scamper. Sophomore quarterback Jackson Kirtley entered the game in his place.
Kirtley scored a 10-yard rushing touchdown on his first full drive under center, but Dane Wilson would answer with his third touchdown of the game, a 20-yard rush giving Rhodes the lead 24-7.
Kirtley threw another touchdown pass to Kevin Ude late in the fourth quarter, but could not close the deficit. The Rhodes victory was the first for Dan Gritti.
The Tigers will have work to do on both sides of the ball going into their Oct. 1 contest with Centre College.
For defensive coordinator Scott Srnka, the game against Rhodes was a bittersweet moment. Srnka coached against his alma mater and former team for the first time on Saturday. He was the defensive coordinator at Rhodes for 17 years.
"We didn't take advantage of opportunities and we missed tackles. We didn't have good angles," Srnka said. "I think Dane [Wilson] is a very good back, but we've got a lot of work to do to get to the standard of the DePauw defense where we want it to be."
The Tigers will have a busy week of practice, looking to dramatically improve on both sides of the ball going into their week five game against an undefeated Centre team. It will be DePauw's first home game this season.
"We've got to improve," Long said. "We have to practice better. I thought practice was a little sluggish early in the week. What you see on Saturday is how you practice. I want to see [our team] come out and recommit themselves to the things we are all about."
Kickoff for the DePauw-Centre match-up is set for 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on 91.5 WGRE.