OBERLIN, Ohio (September 16, 2023) – The first North Coast Athletic Conference game of the 2023 season for the Denison University football team saw the Big Red jump out to a 35-0 lead after the first quarter before untimely ending with a 70-0 win on the road at Oberlin College on Saturday.

It was Denison's most points in a single game and was its largest margin of victory since defeating Ohio Northern 71-0 in 1957, a span of 66 years. The program record for points scored in a single game is 94 vs. Marshall in 1917. The only other previous occurrence of Denison scoring 70 or more points in one game was a 73-0 win over Ohio Northern in 1956.

In addition, the 35-point first quarter for the Big Red ties the program record for points scored in a quarter set twice before: 2nd quarter vs. Wooster, 1985; 2nd quarter vs. Hiram, 2019.

Senior running back Trey Fabrocini tied the Denison record of five rushing touchdowns and 30 points scored in one game, previously set by quarterback Cannan Gebele in a 68-66, four-overtime defeat vs. Wittenberg on September 29, 2018.

After two first downs for Oberlin on the opening drive of the game to get into Denison territory, Yeomen quarterback Drew Nye, the reigning NCAC Offensive Player of the Week, threw off of one foot and threw behind his intended receiver as Jaylin Epps came up with the interception and returned it 86 yards for the first score of the game.

The next drive saw a three-and-out by Oberlin as a 19-yard punt set Denison up at the Yeomen 44-yard line. Three plays later, Fabrocini got loose on the sideline and went 33 yards untouched to the endzone to make it 14-0.

In all, Fabrocini rushed for four touchdowns in the first quarter as he proceeded to score from three yards out (9:19), two yards out (3:47) and from one yard out (0.26).

After Oberlin's third drive of the game ended with an interception by Clay Denstorff, it was Denstorff who almost single handedly ended the fifth Yeomen drive with a three-yard tackle for loss and an 11-yard sack on first and second down. Denstorff totaled three tackles for loss and was responsible for half of Denison's four sacks in the game.

Then after a fourth-down stop on a quarterback hurry by Jeff Moore halfway through the second quarter, Denison's ensuing drive started with a 21-yard run by Fabrocini bouncing off of multiple defenders and was followed by a 25-yard pass from Jimmy Stines to Josh Aiello.

Two plays later, Stines found Aiello in the corner of the endzone for a two-yard score to make it 42-0 with six minutes left until the break.

Play number one of the next Oberlin drive resulted in the third interception of the first half for the Big Red defense, this time by Moore, which was followed up by Fabrocini's fifth rushing touchdown of the first half, a four-yard score to make it 49-0 with three minutes left in the first half.

Fabrocini had 146 rushing yards at halftime before finishing the game with 186 yards on 21 total carries (8.9 yards per carry).

The third quarter saw Stines and Aiello hook up for a touchdown for the second time in the game, this time a 53-yard catch and run right down the middle of the field.

After that, Zane Olmstead took over at quarterback and in his Big Red debut, finished off his second drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jack Williams.

Stines finished by completing 11 of his 17 passes for 197 yards and two scores, both to Aiello, while Omstead was 5-for-7 for 51 yards and one touchdown.

Aiello finished with four receptions for 88 yards while Billy Guzzo had three for 52 yards.

Backup running back Vincent Cognetta rushed eight times for 41 yards while in the final minute, freshman Blayton Reid scored his first-career touchdown with a five yard run, making its six rushing scores on the day for the Big Red.

As a team, Denison rushed for 276 yards and put up 524 yards of offense. It was their second time in three games this season putting up over 250 rushing yards and over 500 total yards.

Christian Lariviere led the defense with seven tackles and was followed by Layton Reesor with six.

Next up, Denison will remain on the road next week to face Hiram College starting at 12 p.m. on Saturday, September 23.