TIFFIN, Ohio – The Tiffin University football team will look to win its third-straight game on Saturday as they will take on Kentucky Wesleyan carrying a 2-1 overall record and a 1-0 mark in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play after securing consecutive victories over Northern Michigan and Thomas More. The Dragons have surpassed the 35-point mark in all three contests this season and are averaging 37.0 points and 431.0 total yards per game.
The Dragon offense has been powered by a productive rushing attack that ranks among the conference's best. Tiffin is averaging 231.7 rushing yards per game while piling up 754 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground through three contests. The Dragons have eclipsed 185 rushing yards in every game this season and have scored 11 of their 15 touchdowns on rushing plays.
Kick-off on Saturday from Steele Stadium is slated for 1 p.m. (EST)/ 12 p.m. (CT).
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BLACKMAN LEADS GROUND GAME: Fifth year running back
Ronald Blackman has established himself as one of the conference's top offensive threats, rushing for 386 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 7.6 yards per carry and 128.7 yards per game. Blackman has eclipsed the century mark in all three games this season, including performances of 144 yards against Carson-Newman, 104 yards against Northern Michigan, and 138 yards with two touchdowns against Thomas More. His 449 all-purpose yards lead the Dragons.
ANTOINE SETTLING IN AT QUARTERBACK:
Kyle Antoine has completed 67.1 percent of his passes this season, going 49-for-73 for 598 yards and three touchdowns. He has thrown for at least 150 yards in every game while posting a 144.0 passing efficiency rating. Antoine's top outing came against Northern Michigan when he completed 21 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-7 road victory.
ZALEWSKI HEADLINES THE RECIEVING CORPS: Joey Zalewski has emerged as Antoine's favorite target, leading the team with 13 receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns. The senior is coming off a season-best performance against Thomas More, hauling in six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. Seven different Dragons have recorded at least three receptions this season, highlighting the balance of the passing attack.
DEFENSE AMONG THE NATION'S BEST: Tiffin's defense has been equally impressive through the first three games. The Dragons are allowing just 240.7 total yards and 20.7 points per game while holding opponents to only 73.7 passing yards per contest, which is tops in NCAA Division II. Opposing quarterbacks are completing just 44.7 percent of their passes against a secondary that has recorded four interceptions already this season.
The Dragons have not allowed an opponent to surpass 300 yards of total offense this season and are giving up only 4.2 yards per play. They have also forced seven turnovers while committing just three, resulting in a +4 turnover margin.
WILLIAMS BROTHERS PACE DEFENSIVE UNIT: Lennox Williams leads Tiffin with 21 total tackles and has recorded at least six tackles in all three contests.
Popeye Williams ranks second on the team with 16 tackles and leads the Dragons with 5.0 tackles for loss.
Isaiah Funches-Foster adds 14 tackles, while
Frank Bertram and
Anthony Shields have each contributed 11 stops.
Up front,
Radical Rothermel paces the team with 2.5 sacks and also owns a fumble recovery, helping the Dragons record seven sacks through three games.
OPPORTUNISTIC DEFENSE: The Dragons have excelled at creating takeaways this season.
Jeremiah Moore leads the team with two interceptions despite appearing in only two games, while
Niko Bohler and
David Collins Jr. have also recorded interceptions. Tiffin forced four turnovers in its conference-opening win over Thomas More and has converted takeaways into 24 points this season.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: Kentucky Wesleyan enters Saturday's matchup still searching for its first win of the season at 0-3 overall and 0-1 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play. The Panthers have averaged 12.7 points and 222.3 yards of total offense per game while allowing 47.7 points and 469.0 yards per contest through their first three games.
Offensively, Kentucky Wesleyan has employed multiple quarterbacks. Tyler Thompson has completed 26-of-46 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns, while Mason Griffin has thrown for 207 yards on 27-of-45 passing. The Panthers average 180.7 passing yards per game and have recorded three passing touchdowns on the year.
The ground game is led by Dominick Hollis, who has rushed for a team-high 99 yards and one touchdown on 33 carries. As a team, Kentucky Wesleyan is averaging just 41.7 rushing yards per game and 1.6 yards per carry.
Defensively, linebacker Josh Noble has been one of the most productive players in the conference, leading the Panthers and the G-MAC with 36 total tackles through three games. Kenneth Joshua has added 22 tackles and an interception, while Tion Curry leads the team with 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Kentucky Wesleyan has forced five turnovers this season, including three interceptions.
On special teams, punter Jakob DeShields has been heavily utilized, averaging 39.0 yards on 23 punts with a long of 60 yards.
