The Tigers have found their identity on both sides of the ball.
After a 34-10 rout of the Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops, the Tigers take their new look offense and efficient defense to Sherman, Texas in hopes to win their second-straight game.
After senior quarterback Ethan Schweir tore his ACL and backup Jackson Kirtley went down with a concussion, the position was left to freshman Drew Seaman. Not only did Seaman manage to lead the team to a victory in his first start, he threw three touchdowns including two to junior tight end Bobby Coburn, and completed passes to nine receivers.
"I'm really proud of the way we played," said head coach Robby Long on WGRE's Tiger Talk Wednesday night. "We came out 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.
It was the offense's lack of ability to sustain drives that led to the Tigers four game losing streak, beginning with a Sept. 17 loss at Allegheny College. Against Ohio Wesleyan, the Tigers took their first lead in more than a month since the third quarter against Allegheny. In last Saturday's game, DePauw drastically improved its numbers in each crucial offensive category, aided by the leadership of Seaman under center.
"We didn't expect him to have to play this year," Long said. "Obviously we are very proud of him in his first start and the way he played, but more proud of the team as a whole."
DePauw was 3-3 in red zone scoring, 10-21 on third down conversions, and 2-3 on critical fourth down conversions. The Tigers notched 122 yards on the ground and 174 yards passing en route to a complete day offensively, marked by a consistent balance.
An offensive power similar to the one achieved against Ohio Wesleyan is what the Tigers hope to see against Austin College. Austin (0-7) hasn't won a game since Oct. 24 of last year. They have allowed 40.0 points per game this season, coupled with an impotent offensive attack, ranked 209th in total offense.
Despite Austin's less than impressive statistics, the Tigers know they will have their hands full against a team that has traditionally provided the Tigers with many problems, including a close 30-20 victory last season at home.
"They have a very experienced team," Seaman said on Tiger Talk. "They haven't played very well, but they are a very dangerous group. We can't overlook them. We are going to come prepared."
The past two weeks the Tigers have seen two extremes, first Sewanee University with a triple option run attack and then Ohio Wesleyan, who operated a shotgun-oriented, complex passing offense. Long and the Tigers expect to see a different look from the Austin Kangaroos for Saturday's contest.
"They're the most balanced team we've seen since Centre," Long said. "We have to be prepared for that. They use a lot of the option football game out of the shotgun, but they are also going to throw the ball."
The Tigers also look to clean up prior mistakes in the last game that included sideline communication errors on offense and problems with center-to-quarterback snap exchange.
"We need to cut out as many stupid mistakes as possible," Seaman said. "I made a bunch of throws that were just examples of miscommunication between the receivers and me. We need to tighten those little mistakes up."
The Tigers look to claim their sixth straight victory against Austin in a game that is the last of six total road games this season, the most since 1945. DePauw will advance to 3-4 on the season with a win. A victory in Saturday's game would also give the team a chance to be over .500 on the season. DePauw finishes the season with two home games against Albion and Wabash.
Saturday's game will be broadcasted on 91.5 WGRE, with the pregame commentary starting at noon.
