TIFFIN-The No. 23-ranked Heidelberg University Student Princes used the big play to defeat Marietta College 56-24 Saturday afternoon in Ohio Athletic Conference action. Heidelberg scored five touchdowns on plays of 25 or more yards.
The Student Princes remain undefeated on the season at 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Pioneers fall to 0-4 and 0-3 in league play.
Heidelberg (4-0, 3-0) jumped out to an early 14-0 lead.
The Student Princes took the opening kickoff and engineered a 13-play scoring drive. Running back Cartel Brooks capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.
After forcing Marietta to punt on the ensuing drive, Heidelberg's C.J. Powell returned the punt 67 yards to pay irt and a 14-0 lead with 6:54 remaining in the opening period.
The Pioneers answered with a 13-play, 80-yard drive to cut the lead in half. Senior Tom Fulton hit junior wide receiver Kirby Harris for a 12-yard touchdown. Earlier in the drive, Fulton and Harris connected on a 33-yard completion.
Fact Box
Heidelberg 56, Marietta 24
M 0 17 7 0 - 24
H 14 14 21 7 - 56
H: Cartel Brooks 4 run (Dan Kilger kick) 10:05, 1st
H: C.J. Powell 67 punt return (Kilger kick) 6:54, 1st
M: Kirby Harris 12 pass from Tom Fulton (Conor Durina kick) 14:57, 2nd
H: Brooks 4 run (Kilger kick) 13:59, 2nd
M: Durina 20 field goal 7:44, 2nd
M: Linard Williams 11 pass from Fulton (Durina kick) 1:20, 2nd
H: Donteea Dye 62 pass from Michael Mees (Kilger kick) 1:07, 2nd
H: Christian Dominguez 55 pass from Mees (Kilger kick) 6:34, 3rd
H: Chadd Williamson 26 interception return (Kilger kick), 6:19, 3rd
M: Tannon Roberts 66 pass from Fulton (Durina kick) 5:20, 3rd
H: Bryan Lacey 8 run (Kilger kick) 3:22, 3rd
H: Powell 35 pass from Mees (Kilger kick) 9:06, 4th
Team stats
Marietta: First downs: 20; Rushes-yards: 26-25; Passing yards: 351; Total yards: 376; Passing: 24-48-4; Punts-average: 6-41.5; Fumbles-lost: 0-0; Penalties-yards: 5-54
Heidelberg: First downs: 19; Rushes-yards: 40-204; Passing yards: 247; Total yards: 451; Passing: 14-29-1; Punts-average: 4-37.8; Fumbles-lost: 0-0; Penalties-yards: 11-103
Individual stats
Marietta: Quincy Bell 10-14; Passing: Tom Fulton 24-28, 351; Receiving: Kirby Harris 8-148, Tannon Roberts 6-117
Heidelberg: Cartel Brooks 27-130; Passing: Michael Mees 13-26, 232; Receiving: Donteea Dye 3-97
Next game: John Carroll at Marietta, 10/6
Marietta's momentum was short-lived as Robert Gray returned the kickoff 64 yards to the Pioneer 25. Three plays later, Brooks dove in from 4 yards out for a 21-7 Heidelberg lead.
The Pioneers (0-4, 0-3) cut the Student Prince lead to 21-17.
Freshman Conor Durina nailed a 20-yard field goal followed by an 11-yard scoring strike from Fulton to Linard Williams with 1:20 left in the first half.
Heidelberg put the ball in play at its own 38-yard line when Marietta's kickoff went out of bounds.
After an incomplete pass on first down, Michael Mees hit Donteea Dye for a 62-yard touchdown giving the Student Princes a 28-17 lead at halftime.
Heidelberg added two more touchdowns to start the third quarter. Mees hooked up with Christian Dominguez on a 55-yard touchdown pass and Chadd Williamson intercepted a pass and returned it 26 yards for the score and a 42-17 lead.
Mees completed half of his 26 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once.
The Pioneers responded with a big play of their own. Fulton found junior wide receiver Tannon Roberts on a 66-yard touchdown pass with 5:20 left in the third quarter.
Fulton finished the day hitting of his 48 pass attempts for 351 yards and three touchdowns. He was picked off four times. Roberts caught six passes for 117 yards and a score, while Harris hauled in eight catches for 148 yards and a touchdown.
The Student Princes added two more scores for the 56-24 victory. Bryan Lacey ran the ball in from 8 yards out and Mees threw a 35-yard scoring strike to Powell.
Brooks was the game's leading rusher gaining 130 yards on 27 carries. He scored a pair of touchdowns.
Marietta returns to action at 2 p.m. Saturday with a road game at John Carroll University.
