DELAWARE, Ohio (October 8, 2022) – Denison University football suffered a 41-7 setback at Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon at Selby Stadium.

OWU quarterback Kaden Buza passed for four touchdowns in the first half and finished with five touchdown passes to four different receivers while running back Jackson Gifford rushed 31 times for 115 yards.

In all, OWU outgained Denison 430-282 and was 4-for-4 in the redzone while keeping Denison out of the endzone on both of its opportunities in the redzone.

After a punt by Daniel Cunningham on the opening drive of the game pinned the Battling Bishops down to their own five-yard line, OWU could not be held down and went 95 yards in 10 plays to get on the scoreboard.

Then after an eight-play, 53-yard drive to end the first quarter up 14-0, both of OWU's scoring drives in the second quarter took three plays or less after starting in Big Red territory. The first came after a bobbled snap on a punt set the Bishops up at the Denison 35-yard line, and then the second came in the final minute of the first half after Denison was stuffed on fourth-and-one, setting OWU up at the Big Red 39-yard line.

Denison's only scoring play was a 41-yard hail mary touchdown pass from Drew Dawkins to Mack Marston with the clock expired in the second quarter. It was a five-play, 75-yard drive for Denison that included 19-yard completions to DJ Johnson and Billy Guzzo for back-to-back first downs to get the ball into Bishops' territory.

For the Denison offense, which gave up four sacks in the game, Dawkins was 19-for-39 for 210 yards while completing seven passes to Marston.

On defense, Nathan Hallenbeck led the way with 15 total tackles and 10 solo tackles while Jeff Moore added 10 tackles, Jack Nimesheim had seven tackles, Collin Hill and Michael Ballenger both had six, and Sam Secrest had five tackles and a sack. Additionally, both Clay Denstorff and Vince Zelisko finished with 1.5 tackles for loss while Roshaune Downie added three pass breakups.

With its first road loss of the season, Denison dropped to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the NCAC while OWU, which had not played at home since its season opener on September 3, improved to 3-2 overall and remained undefeated in the conference at 3-0.

Next up, Denison will host Hiram College at 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 15.