Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Aaron Huffman scored the first three touchdowns and threw for another to help 12th-ranked Wittenberg chalk up 570 yards of offense and defeat Allegheny 52-10 in a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) football showdown on Saturday.
The Tigers (9-0, 6-0 NCAC) snapped the Gators (7-2, 4-2 NCAC) four-game winning streak and claimed their ninth overall NCAC title thanks to their top-ranked defense and the record-breaking performance of Huffman. The senior quarterback threw for 299 yards to become Wittenberg's all-time leader in passing yards with 5,620 yards.
Allegheny became the first team this season to score on the Tigers in the first half. T. J. Salopek found Matt Griffith with a 19-yard pass for the Gators only touchdown of the afternoon. Salopek completed 13 of 28 passes to move into second in passing attempts on the program's career chart. Ryan Zipf added three points with his ninth field goal of the season from 32 yards out.
The Tigers, who were averaging 429.0 yards per game, rushed for 271 yards and threw for another 299 while holding the Allegheny to its lowest offensive output of the season with 189 yards.
Huffman led the charge on the first drive of the game for Wittenberg, using 11 plays and going 76 yards before scoring the first touchdown on a three-yard run for a 7-0 lead. The Gators punted on their first possession, but senior C.J. Bell (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) intercepted Huffman on the Tigers next chance to set up Allegheny's only touchdown.
With the ball on the Allegheny 27, Bell made his first interception of the season and ran the ball back for 34 yards put the Gators in a good position. Allegheny went for it on 3rd and 10 on two occasions with the second being a 19-yard pass from Salopek to Griffith to even it at 7-all.
Wittenberg opened the second quarter with 17 unanswered points, getting back-to-back touchdowns from Huffman on nine and three-yard runs before Zack Harris hit a 35-yard field goal with 1:25 left in the half to take a 24-7 lead.
The Tigers' defense was unable to shut out the Gators' offense in the first half, but did just that in the second half while the offense added four more touchdowns to post their second highest point total this season. Wittenberg defeated Hiram 70-7 on Oct. 3.
Corey Weber rushed for a game-high 101 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown and Josh McKee was Huffman's target of the day with six catches for 122 yards for the Tigers.
Griffith finished with four catches for 64 yards and Rodney Still tallied 25 yards on four carries. Sid Facaros paced the defense with eight tackles. Bell and Craig Stamm each added seven stops.
Allegheny will travel to Ohio Wesleyan in the season finale on Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m.
