By Tim Glon
Freshman Will Freed threw for 439 yards and three touchdowns in his first collegiate game to lead Ohio Northern to a 29-22 football victory over Utica (N.Y.) in its 2015 season opener Saturday afternoon at Dial-Roberson Stadium.
The Polar Bears improve to 1-0, while the Pioneers fall to 1-1.
Freed completed 27-of-36 passes and TD scores of 73, 56 and 8 yards in his college debut, marking the first time a freshman quarterback started a game for Ohio Northern since Ed Chessar in 1987.
His 439 yards passing is the second-most in ONU history, trailing only the record 452-yard effort by Shane Franzer at Hanover (Ind.) in the 1999 playoffs.
Freed was hardley the only Polar Bear to have a big afternoon.
Senior Devon Price caught 10 passes for 141 yards, junior Reed Allen caught six passes for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns, senior Justin Magazine ran 23 times for 97 yards and a score and sophomore linebacker Zach Schmerge had a game-high 16 tackles for ONU.
But things were not rosey all afternoon for the hosts, as a 2-yard touchdown pass by UC's Teddy VanGalen to Nick Yellich gave the Pioneers a 19-7 lead with 8:42 left in the game.
Northern answered with a 4-play, 78-yard drive and pulled within 19-14 when Freed hit Allen on a 56-yard scoring pass with 6:37 left in the game.
UC would extend its lead to 22-14 on a 35-yard field goal by Thomas Woodburn, his third field goal of the game.
ONU then marched 77 yards in eight plays and scored on an 8-yard pass from Freed to Allen. The 2-point conversion pass failed and ONU was within 22-20 with 14:29 left in the game.
Sophomore Landry Hostetler then blocked a UC punt on the ensuing possession, giving the Polar Bears the ball at the UC 7-yard line.
Magazine swept in from 7-yards out two plays later and Northern led 26-22 with 13:19 to go.
A 33-yard field goal by senior Andrew DiMario extended ONU's lead to 29-22 with 9:07 left.
ONU got the ball back and marched to the Utica 5-yard line, but the pioneers blocked DiMario's 22-yard field goal with 2:54 left to keep the Polar Bear lead at 7.
UC would drive to midfield on its final possession, but senior Will Bodden would intercept a VanGalen pass to ice the game.
"I'm proud of our guys that they kept battling even when things were not going our way in the third quarter," ONU head coach Dean Paul said. "Utica had the lead, the momentum and a 15-mile per hour wind at their backs. For us to go down and score and switch the momentum at that point was big. We had many players step up and make big plays today.
"Our freshman quarterback was terrific. I'm sure he would like to have a few throws back, but overall he kept his poise and played well. The guys around him were a big part of the game too. Our receivers made plays, Magazine ran hard to the end and our defense did a great job in the fourth quarter to close the game out. This was a good win against a very good team."
Northern struck first on a 73-yard TD pass from Freed to Allen with 6:30 gone in the game.
ONU had three chances to extend that lead,driving inside the UC 20-yard line the next three possessions but a fumble, a missed field goal and a 28-yard loss on a bad snap from center cost the Polar Bears points on each occasion.
The Pioneers tied the game at 7-7 on a 68-yard pass from VanGalen to Gregory Palmer with 8:01 left in the half.
UC took a 10-7 lead into intermission on a 34-yard Woodburn field goal as time expired that capped a 13-play, 70-yard drive.
Utica went up 13-7 with a field goal on its first possession of the third quarter.
Derrick Sekuterski intercepted a Freed pass three plays later and returned it 25 yards to the ONU 2-yard line, setting up a scoring pass that would give the hosts a 19-7 lead.
Ohio Northern had 531 yards of total offense while holding Utica to 377. VanGalen completed 20-of-36 passes for 300 yards and two scores to lead the Pioneers.
The Polar Bears will begin Ohio Athletic Conference play next Saturday with a 7 pm home contest against Baldwin Wallace at Dial-Roberson Stadium.
