Middlebury put forth a great effort, but came up short as Trinity extended its winning streak to 28 games with a 14-0 win over the Panthers. The streak is the nation's longest in Division III and second only to USC (29 entering today) in all of college football.
The first half was a defensive battle, with neither team able to find the end zone. Middlebury's best chance to score came following an 11-yard punt return by Ryan Armstrong, leaving the Panthers at the Trinity 29. Middlebury drove to the 17, but a sack pushed them out of field goal range, forcing a punt.
Two possessions later, Trinity drove to the Middlebury 28 before Coleman Hutzler ended the drive with an interception at the Panther's 14-yard line. The Bantams were driving again late in the half, but Brian Young picked off a Bill Schweitzer pass at the Middlebury 17.
Trinity got on the board midway through the third quarter after a Middlebury fumble left them the ball at the Panther's 49-yard line. Eleven plays later, Jordan Quinones found the end zone with a three-yard scamper to give Trinity a 6-0 lead after a missed extra point.
Trinity looked to add to the lead later in the quarter after a 46-yard rush by Gennaro Leo brought them to the Middlebury 32. The Bantams moved all the way to the one-yard line before being held on a 4th and goal situation.
Trinity held Middlebury to 24 yards on their next possession, taking over at the 50-yard line following a short punt. Eight plays and 3:20 later, Josh Pitcher found Chris Olenoski over the middle on a second and goal play from the one to make it a 12-0 game. The Bantams were successful on their two-point conversion, taking a 14-0 lead with 9:25 left to play.
Middlebury found itself with poor field position for the remainder of the game, and were unable to get on the board.
The Trinity defense held Middlebury to just 89 yards on the day, while gaining 314 of its own. Gennaro Leo led all rushers with 16 carries for 102 yards on the afternoon, Chandler Barnard gained 57 yards on 16 carries, while Quinones earned 46 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. Bill Schweitzer went 5-11 for 56 yards with a pair of interceptions, while Josh Pitcher was 5-7 for 63 yards with a touchdown. Olenoski caught five balls for 48 yards with a touchdown on the afternoon. Christian Allen led the Trinity defense with eight tackles and a forced fumble.
Middlebury's defense played well on the afternoon, holding a Trinity offense that averges almost 40 points/game to just 14 on the day. Scott Secor paced the defense with 13 tackles, Kevin Ryan had 12, while Coleman Hutzler had 11 to go along with a sack and an interception. Stefan Hrdina led the ground game with 77 yards on 21 carries, while Tiger Lyon went 13 of 25 for 47 yards on the day. Hrdina and Ryan Armstrong had four catches apiece.
