Posted: Oct 12, 2017
The Wilmington College football team looks to move to .500 on the season, and remain unbeaten at home, when the Fightin' Quakers host Marietta 2 p.m. for Homecoming.
The NCAA Series
Marietta leads the overall, 12-5, and has won four straight. Wilmington is 4-4 in the eight games played on Townsend Field in Williams Stadium.
The Last Five
2016: Marietta 66, Wilmington 23
2015: Marietta 34, Wilmington 14
2014: Marietta 47, Wilmington 37
2013: Marietta 50, Wilmington 22
2012: Wilmington 13, Marietta 12
Creditt, where Creditt is due
Midway through the season, senior Luke Creditt has thrown for 12 touchdowns, which is already a single-season high for the signal caller.
He is completing 60.6 percent (66-of-109) of his passes for 977 yards, 12 scores and five interceptions. His 281 yards rushing are second on the team.
A Prince, not a pauper
Senior defensive end Ryan Prince is also having a career year for the Fightin' Quakers. A season after picking up six tackles for loss, he already has seven midway through the year. Prince's tackles for loss are third in the Ohio Athletic Conference.
His four sacks this season equaled his career total coming into the season.
Home Sweet Home
Wilmington has won both of its home games this season. The Fightin' Quakers are 2-0 on Townsend Field in Williams Stadium, and are 0-3 on the road.
Ground Attack
After five games, thanks mostly to the 381 yards against Earlham, the Fightin' Quakers are third in the OAC with 188.0 yards per game.
Scoring Acumen
The Wilmington offense has improved greatly with head coach Bryan Moore at the helm. At the midway point of the season, the Fightin' Quakers have scored 149 points. It marks more points than the team has scored total in five of the last six seasons.
Key Players
Wilmington's C.J. Thompson
Senior linebacker C.J. Thompson is fourth on the team in tackles with 35 stops, and the middle linebacker needs to be in the center of all the rushing action. He is second on the team in pass break-ups.
Marietta's Roger Walker
The reigning OAC Offensive Back of the Year comes into the game ranked fourth in the league with 420 yards rushing. His 74 attempts are third in the league. The senior has the most rushing attempts in the OAC without a fumble.
By the Numbers
55.3 - In his first collegiate game, less than three days after joining the team, kicker Joshua Chua averaged 55.3 yards on his kickoffs. It's a 20-yard improvement from the team's season average.
19 - Knock on wood!!!! Freshman Kevin Shamp is the only kicker in the OAC that hasn't missed an extra point this season, going 19-for-19.
143 - Senior Eric Flynn, Jr. is third in the league in all-purpose yards, averaging 143.8 yards per game. He has rushed for 343 yards, gained 272 yards on returns and hauled in 104 receiving yards.
8 - Wilmington is near the bottom, ranking eighth, in total punts with just 18 attempts on the season.
Scouting Marietta
The Marietta Pioneers have lost two straight games, falling to Baldwin Wallace (52-24) and John Carroll (48-21), heading into the game.
John Carroll raced out to 45-7 lead after its first score of the fourth quarter. Running back Roger Walker was limited to 12 yards on 10 attempts. With a long rush of seven yards, he gained three yards on the other 11 attempts.
Walker did have two touchdown receptions, finishing with 39 yards receiving on four catches.
Quarterback Darrien Fields gained a team-high 37 yards on 11 rushes. Fields was efficient in the passing game, completing 21 of his 29 passes for 206 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sacked four times.
On the season, the junior signal caller is second in the OAC - completing 70.2 percent (92-of-131) of his passes for 944 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Sophomore Ryan Van Meter leads the team with 25 receptions and is second with 220 yards. However, he is still looking for his first touchdown reception of the year.
Senior receiver Alex Smith has 20 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown, while sophomore Andrew Barker leads the team with 240 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
Junior linebacker Garrett Davis leads the lead with 48 tackles, 14 more than his closest teammate, sophomore defensive back Eric Klopfenstein.
The Pioneers are tied for fourth in the league with six intercepions. Junior Javi Zaragoza is second in the conference with three picks. Junior cornerback Marquese Moore has two interceptions, including a pick-six.
Defensive end Nick O'Neal, a converted running back, and defensive tackle Casey Huhn are tied for the team-lead with 3.5 tackles for loss.