Against Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday, the Tigers found themselves with something they have been unaccustomed to for over a month: a lead.
The Tigers hadn't held the lead in a game since September 17, when they faced Allegheny College. In the third quarter of that game, the team held a slim 10-7 lead. After scoring all of those 10 points in the first quarter, Allegheny scored 17 unanswered points including a go-ahead fourth quarter touchdown to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season and the first of four straight losses.
"I'm really proud of the way we played today," head coach Robbie Long said on Saturday. "We came out today and talked about playing the game of football, not taking it too seriously. We were actually enjoying our time on the field. It started off on the wrong foot, but they got it together and I couldn't be more proud of their performance."
After being down 10-0 in the first quarter against Ohio Wesleyan, DePauw stormed back on offense and scored 17 points in the second quarter with excellent play from freshman quarterback Drew Seaman.
In Seaman's first collegiate start of his career, his first quarter was one he hopes to forget. After throwing an interception and fumbling the football on his second and third possessions of the game, he collected himself to throw two TD passes to junior tight end Bobby Coburn in the second quarter.
Seaman was 17-27 in passing and threw for 166 yards for three TDs. Freshman wide receiver DJ Steward was his favorite target, catching four passes for one TD and 34 total yards. On the ground, junior Nikko Sansone led all rushers with 65 yards gained on 11 carries.
"The changes we made today, they worked out for us," Long said. "We want to continue to improve and just make strides in the offense and we did that today. I'm proud of Drew, I'm proud of the offensive coaches, I'm proud of the offensive unit."
Two weekends ago against Sewanee: the University of the South, the Tigers lost 30-7 in a game where the only DePauw points came from senior Taylor Wagner's TD off of a kickoff. The offense, with sophomore Jackson Kirtley at QB, put up just 240 yards total and accounted for zero points on the scoreboard.
Seaman, the third starting QB of the season for the Tigers, has seemingly won the starting job away from Kirtley with the win over Ohio Wesleyan. He will look to continue his success against Austin College next Saturday.
"The great thing about this football team is they have struggled," Long said. "We are not having the same kind of success we've had the past 5, 6 years, but they're fighting. We aren't happy being 2-4, but I like the things I am starting to see."
-Parker Schwartz contributed to this article