By Tim Glon
Seniors Tate Humphrey and Carter Paul had career days, leading Ohio Northern to a 56-14 football victory at Marietta Saturday afternoon at Don Drumm Stadium.
The Polar Bears improve to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in Ohio Athletic Conference in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Pioneers fall to 0-6, 0-5.
The victory was also the 100th career coaching win for ONU head coach Dean Paul. In 14 seasons, Paul now has a 100-39 career record. He is 60-27 in nine seasons as Ohio Northern.
Humphrey completed 14 of 21 passes for a career-high 271 yards and 3 TDs and Paul ran 23 times for a career-high 121 yards and three scores.
Humphrey also set a single-game school record with a quarterback efficiency rating of 222.21, which is the highest by a Polar Bear quarterback with at least 20 passing attempts.
The Polar Bears got off to a quick start when freshman Devon Price returned the opening kickoff 70 yards to the Marietta 16-yard line.
Three plays later senior Carter Paul plowed over from the 3-yard line and ONU led 7-0 just 1:03 into the contest.
Another big play set up ONU's next touchdown. Humphrey hit senior Frank Thein on a 39-yard pass to the MC 6-yard line, setting up a 3-yard run by Humphrey and ONU led 14-0 with 6:21 left in the first period.
Humphrey went to the long ball for the Polar Bears' third score of the opening period, hitting Justin Wilson on a 55-yard strike right down the middle of the field and ONU led 21-0 with 56 seconds left in the first quarter.
Humphrey went right back to work on ONU's next possession, hitting Price on a 75-yard TD pass down the middle of the field on the first play of the second quarter and Northern's lead was extended to 28-0.
MC got on the board with 13:24 left in the first half on a 52-yard TD pass from Tom Fulton to Linard Williams.
Paul plowed in from 2 yards out with 9:31 left in the half to extend ONU's lead to 35-7.
He banged in from 3 yards out for his third score of the first half at the 2:12 mark of the second quarter.
Wilson set up the score with a 38-yard punt return to the MC 9-yard line.
The Polar Bears kept rolling as Humphrey hit Thein on a 32-yard scoring strike on ONU's first possession of the second half to put ONU up 49-7.
Senior DeMarqus Payne scored on a 4-yard run with 7:07 left in the game to give ONU a 56-7 lead.
Junior Ryan Reid led the ONU defense with nine tackles and an interception.
Fulton led the Pioneer offense, completing 25 of 55 passes for 290 yards and two scores.
ONU out-gained MC in total offense 535-361.
The victory was the sixth consecutive for ONU over the Pioneers and is the ninth straight in games played at Don Drumm Stadium.
The game also marked the fourth consecutive time, and the fifth time in the last six trips for ONU to Don Drumm in which the game was played as part of MC's Homecoming Weekend.
The Polar Bears will return to action next Saturday with a 6 pm contest at John Carroll at Don Shula Stadium.
