HIRAM, Ohio – College of Wooster football records tend to fall when the Fighting Scots visit Hiram College, and that trend continued during the Black & Gold's 49-21 win on Saturday afternoon at Charles A. Henry Field at Malmisur Stadium.
Senior quarterback Mateo Renteria was the focal point of Saturday's record-breaking performances. He completed 27-of-43 passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns. The fifth-year starter surpassed Wooster (2-0, 1-0 North Coast Athletic Conference) alumnus Gary Muntean for most career passing yards in program history, and that counter reached 8,491 at day's end. Renteria matched Muntean for the program record with 65 careering passing touchdowns. Fittingly, the milestone scoring strike went to senior tight end Cole Hissong. Wooster's D3football.com Preseason All-American extended for the pylon after securing the catch near the 3-yard line, and that extra effort made it 48-21 with 10:29 remaining in the game.
Senior Andrew Yanssens was involved early on offense, catching an 8-yard touchdown pass just over three minutes into the game. Wooster was back in business moments later, as Hiram fumbled the kickoff return, setting the Scots up on the Terriers' (0-2, 0-1 NCAC) 19-yard line at the 11:40 mark. Yanssens surged up the middle from 2 yards out, as Wooster doubled its lead to 14-0 at the first period's 9:32 mark.
Hiram tied the game at 21 on Malcolm Rogers' 69-yard third-quarter touchdown run down the left sideline, but it was all Wooster from there, with the Scots closing out the game with 28 unanswered points. The first six of those came on Yanssens' second touchdown run of the game, and the senior running back added a third from a yard out with 1:11 to go in the third quarter. In between Yanssens' touchdown runs, Renteria connected with first-year EJ Jackson on an 31-yard tight-window touchdown strike, that the Scots' wideout dove for in the end zone.
Hiram's offensive line and quarterback Xavier Reyero struggled to contain Wooster's pass rush all afternoon. Senior defensive lineman Quincy Taylor beat Reyero to the sideline for Wooster's first sack of the game in the first quarter, and on the next drive, a Hiram second-and-4 play backfired, thanks to junior linebacker Kobe Nadu, who surged through the line unblocked. Reyero faced the same fate on the third-down snap, with junior defensive back Alex White breaking into the backfield for a 10-yard setback.
Senior defensive lineman Brandon Holt jumped on the sack train in the second quarter, and Nadu spilled Reyero in the third quarter for his second sack of the day. First-years Robert Mays III and Q Renteria and senior Harvey Briscoe set Hiram back 16 yards on the final three plays of the game, a stretch in which Wooster logged three straight sacks giving it eight for the day.
Hissong went for 140 yards on eight receptions, one of which was a 10-yard touchdown grab. Sophomore Brazos Gadler surpassed 100 yards on the day, turning seven receptions into 135 yards, with 48 of the stripes coming after the catch.
Senior defensive back Matt Ulishney had top honors in tackles at 12 and sophomore defensive back Jon Banal finished with six tackles and an interception.
Reyero completed 18-of-29 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. Rogers found success on the ground with 160 yards on 15 carries. Moe Yarbrough was the top receiving target at 82 yards on seven catches.
Dylan Baliker had 11 tackles for Hiram. Gregory Wilson Jr. and Tovanta Revis both had interceptions.
Wooster outgained Hiram 522-312, was on offense nearly 35:00 of the game, and went 8-of-16 on third down. Hiram was just 4-of-13 on third down.
Next, Wooster hosts Wabash College (1-1, 0-0 NCAC) in its home opener. Kickoff from John P. Papp Stadium is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 17, and the game is part of the College's Black & Gold Weekend.