In a battle waged primarily on the ground, with the teams combining for 410 rushing yards, two fourth quarter rushing touchdowns by Joe Glendening allowed No. 21-ranked Hillsdale College to escape with a 35-26 victory over Lake Erie College on Homecoming Day in Painesville.

The Storm (1-3, 0-3 GLIAC) led 26-21 heading into the fourth quarter but Glendening, who ran for 139 yards on 36 carries and scored four times on the ground and once receiving, found the endzone on runs of 25 yards and thre yards in the final nine minutes to lift the Chargers (3-1, 3-0 GLIAC).

Lake Erie took the opening kickoff and marched 65 yards on eight plays. Kameron Alexander (Akron Buchtel) was the hero of the drive with runs of 25 and 18 yards and the two-yard score to finish the series. Alexander finished with 102 yards on 12 carries for his second career 100-yard game.

Hillsdale answered right back with a 13-play, 80 yard scoring drive of their own with Glendening scoring from 10 yards out.

Both teams quickly fizzled on their next drive, but Lake Erie marched down the field for a sustained nine-play, 73-yard drive with the score coming on a 10-yard option pitch by Sean Bedevelsaky (Brunswick) to senior wing David Romeo (Eastlake North). The extra point attempt was blocked and Lake Erie had a six-point edge at 13-7.

The teams continued their marches down the field as Hillsdale answered right back when Anthony Mifsud found Glendening on third down for a one-yard TD pass. On their next drive, the Storm got a 33-yard field goal by junior Sam Marcotte (Chardon) to regain the lead, 16-14. In the final two minutes of the first half, Bedvelsky was again able to lead Lake Erie into field goal range and Marcotte converted a 32-yard attempt on the half’s final play to give the Green and White a five point edge at intermission (19-14).

Glendending plunged in from a yard out to cap a 16-play, 73-yard drive by the Chargers to open the second half. The drive took 8:12 off the clock and put Hillsdale up 21-19.

But Lake Erie responded quickly, covering 68 yards in five plays and just over two minutes. Bedevelsky broke free for a 41-yard scamper on the first play of the drive and then capped the series with a 14-yard score – his third straight game with a rushing touchdown – to put LEC back in front 26-21.

After Hillsdale drove to the eight and Colin McGreevy’s field goal was no good, the Storm had a chance to put some distance between the two teams. But Lake Erie went three-and-out and the Chargers subsequently drove 44 yards in four plays, with Glendening covering the final 25 yards for the lead.

Another three-and-out by the Storm was followed by a 9-play, 77-yard drive by the Chargers that made it 35-26 with 4:33 to play.

Lake Erie rushed for 213 yards on 37 attempts, while the Chargers took to the ground 44 times for 197 yards. It was the first time this season the LEC ground game got over the 200 yard mark. In addition to Alexander’s 102 yards, Bedevelsky ran 15 times for 69 yards and a TD from the quarterback position.

Bedevelsky was an efficient 17 of 21 through the air for 183 yards. His top target was senior Brandon James (Mentor) with seven receptions for 87 yards. A 28-yard reception on the game’s final play put James, the LEC all-time leader in receiving yards, over the 2,000 yard mark for his career with 2,012.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebackers Cameron Bryant (Admiral King) and Kevin Chapman each made three solo and six assisted stops. Overall, 12 Lake Erie defenders registered at least three tackles.

The Storm forced Hillsdale into 16 third-down attempts, but the Chargers consistently kept drives alive, converting on 10 occasions.

Mifsud was 24-of-33 throwing the ball for 251 yards and a touchdown. The Chargers outgained the Storm overall, 448-396, and held the ball for 36:05, compared to just 23:55 for LEC.

The Storm is on the road next weekend, with a night game at Ferris State University. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Big Rapids, Mich. with live coverage of the game on ESPN 970 WFU N and online at LakeErieStorm.com.

courtesty of Lake Erie College

Avon graduate Ryan O’Rourke was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Football Offensive Player of the Week for his performance during Baldwin-Wallace’s 35-20 home and OAC-opener victory against Heidelberg University.

This is the second time in O’Rourke’s career that he has earned the weekly honor.

O’Rourke completed 24 of 29 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. He threw TD passes of four yards to freshman running back Willie Jackson, seven yards to senior wide receiver Troy Van Meter and 14 yards to Midview’s Josiah Holt.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Elyria’s Danny Noble caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Austin Dantin to give Toledo an early lead, but the fourth-ranked team in the nation Boise State routed Toledo 40-15 on Friday night.

Quarterback Kellen Moore threw for 455 yards and five touchdowns to lead Boise State. Moore misfired on his first two throws but didn’t miss many after that, connecting on 32 of 42 passes.

It looked for a while as if Toledo (1-2) might give Boise State a scare just six days after the Rockets came within a play or two of knocking off No. 17 Ohio State. But the Rockets couldn’t stop Moore.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

No. 22-ranked Michigan Tech scored the first 27 points of the game before halftime and never looked back on its way to a 41-10 GLIAC football victory over Lake Erie at Sherman Field.

Admiral King graduate Cameron Bryant had three tackles and recovered a fumble in the loss.

Lake Erie (1-1) will host Saginaw Valley on Saturday at 7 p.m.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Oberlin’s Hugh Thornton paved the way for freshman running back Donovonn Young, who ran for a pair of touchdowns, while Nathan Scheelhaase ran for two more on Saturday in a 56-3 blowout over South Dakota State.

Illinois hadn’t won this big since 1944, in a 79-6 crushing of Illinois-Normal played in front of 5,000 fans.

The 42,000 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday saw the Illini (2-0) score on seven consecutive drives between their first possession early in the opening quarter and a punt with 22 seconds left in the third, when they were already up by a comfy 46 points.

Illinois rolled up 519 yards of offense and allowed the Jackrabbits (1-1) just 96.

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Iowa raced to a 10-point first-half lead, but couldn’t hold on Saturday during a 44-41 loss in three overtimes against Iowa State in front of 56,085, the second-largest crowd in Jack Trice Stadium history.

Iowa State improved to 2-0 and overcame three fumbles, two missed field goals and 11 penalties.

Iowa is 1-1, losing for the first time in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series since 2007.

Clearview graduate Anthony Hitchens recorded four tackles in the loss.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Elyria’s Danny Noble could only nab one catch, a 13-yard reception, as Toledo stood toe to toe with heavily favored Ohio State in front of 105,016 in Ohio Stadium.

The Buckeyes prevailed, 27-22, holding on as Toledo failed to complete a fourth-down pass on OSU’s 16-yard line with just 48 seconds to play.

The Rockets (1-1, 0-0 MAC) have six days to prepare for No. 4 Boise State at the Glass Bowl on Friday.

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North Ridgeville’s Jordan White led Western Michigan with 12 catches for 119 yards in a 34-10 loss to Michigan on Saturday.

The game was called with 1:27 left in the third quarter due to bad weather.

White also returned two punts for 16 yards.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Elyria’s Danny Noble caught just one pass, but it was good for a touchdown in Toledo’s 58-22 victory over New Hampshire in the season opener in the Glass Bowl on Thursday night.

Toledo effectively alternated its two quarterbacks, junior Austin Dantin and sophomore Terrance Owens. Dantin completed 15-of-21 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns, while Owens connected on 10-of-13 passes for 122 yards and two scores. Bernard Reedy, a sophomore, led the receivers with 113 yards on five catches and two touchdowns.

Toledo’s defense was strong when it needed to be, holding the Wildcats to 121 yards of total offense and one score in the first half. For the game, the Rocket ‘D’ forced five turnovers and racked up eight tackles for loss. Three New Hampshire turnovers in the first half led directly to three Rocket touchdowns.

The game was never in doubt, as Toledo jumped out to a 27-0 first-half lead.

The Rockets (1-0, 0-0 MAC) will travel to Ohio State next Saturday to face the No. 18 Buckeyes.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Lake Erie College came back from 10 points down and won its season opener, 13-10 over Gannon University on Thursday.

Brendan Gallagher threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Cole Gordon that gave Lake Erie its only lead of the game, which was good for the win.

On defense, Admiral King graduate Cameron Bryant made seven tackles and recorded two sacks.

The win was Lake Erie’s first in four meetings with Gannon after suffering defeats by margins of two, one and six points the previous three seasons. The victory also means the Captain’s Wheel, a new trophy honoring the winner of the annual Gannon-Lake Erie matchup, will be staying in Painesville this year.

The Storm is in action next on Saturday when they travels to Michigan Tech University for their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener.

swalker@MorningJournal.com