Junior wide receiver Cassius Harris hauls in a five-yard touchdown pass from Greg Mangan in the second quarter of the Yeomen's 48-34 win over Heidelberg

Photo by Seth Binder

September 9, 2006 -- The Oberlin College Yeomen earned their first win of the 2006 season today at Dill Field by downing non-conference foe Heidelberg College, 48-34. Oberlin’s offense, led by sophomore quarterback Greg Mangan, exploded for 597 total yards, 31 first downs, and an average of 7.8 yards gained per play to defeat the Student Princes in convincing fashion. With the win, the Yeomen improved to 1-1 on the young season, while Heidelberg dropped to 0-1.

Mangan left little doubt about his throwing ability this afternoon, racking up 366 yards (28 for 37) in the air and breaking the school record for passing yards in a game. The new mark replaces junior Andy Stein’s record of 349 yards, which was set last season at Denison.

Oberlin’s quarterback wasn’t alone in creating the Yeomen’s impressive offensive display, though. Sophomore running back R.V. Carroll rushed for 176 yards and one score on 29 carries, while a pair of junior receivers, Chris Schubert and Cassius Harris, combined for 248 yards and four touchdowns. Schubert notched ten receptions for 125 yards and two scores, while Harris had seven catches for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Despite the high score and lofty yardage, today’s contest took a little while to get rolling. Neither team scored in a first quarter that only lasted 23 minutes. Heidelberg jumped out on the board first in the second quarter on a 36-yard pass from Steve West to Branden Parker with just over ten minutes left in the half. Oberlin responded quickly and efficiently, though, after Mangan threw touchdowns passes to Harris and Schubert.

With Oberlin leading 13-7 at the 1:30 mark, Heidelberg’s Dawond Roddy caught a 55-yard pass from Bryan Prorok to put the visitors up 14-13 with 44 seconds remaining in the second period. The momentum shifted quickly and permanently just moments later after Cassius Harris caught a 47-yard hail mary from Mangan as time expired.

With the Yeomen leading 21-14 at intermission, play was suspended for an hour due to lightning and dangerous weather. After the long break Oberlin still stayed hot, though, putting together an eight-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a seven-yard touchdown run by Carroll with 11:06 left in the third. After a Heidelberg score with 5:44 left in the period, Mangan connected with junior James Brady to put the hosts up 34-20 with 1:18 remaining in the third.

Touchdowns by Schubert (16-yard pass from Mangan) and Stein (one-yard run) were the icing on the cake as the Yeomen cruised to the 48-34 win. The loss kept Heidelberg’s losing streak alive as the Student Princes lost their 27th straight contest.

Perhaps the most impressive stat for the Yeomen’s offense today was the fact that they did not have a single punt in the contest. While Heidelberg racked up a few yards of its own (420 total), the Oberlin defense held strong to preserve the win. Defensively, the Yeomen were led by sophomore Zach Warner and juniors R.J. Parker and Chase Palmer. Warner had seven tackles, including two for a loss, and intercepted a pass for 35 yards. Parker had seven tackles and one for a loss, while Palmer collected five tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.

Heidelberg was paced by Prorok, who completed 11 of 22 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. Roddy caught five passes for 172 yards and three scores.

Oberlin will rest next week and then return to action on September 23 when Washington and Jefferson College visits Dill Field for a 1:00 p.m. non-conference showdown.

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