Box Score
Kentucky Wesleyan College found itself in a substantial hole that it couldn't get out of at Urbana (Ohio) on Saturday.
Freshman quarterback DJ Mendenhall riddled the Panthers for five touchdown passes, and he ran for another himself, in a 39-25 win.
The Panthers were down 39-7 early in the fourth quarter before putting up three scores to narrow the deficit.
KWC scored on its first possession, capped by a 24-yard touchdown pass from Chris Owen to Vincent Lalonde.
After that, it was the Mendenhall show, with the Blue Knights scoring four straight touchdowns on the way to a 32-point lead early in the final quarter.
Mendenhall found running back Boise Moon with a 56-yard strike to tie the score 7-7. Wide receiver Jerrell Leak caught the next two touchdown passes from 5 and 9 yards. Joe Webb received Mendenhall's fourth touchdown pass of the first half from 12 yards to push the Blue Knights in front 27-7 at the break.
Urbana (2-4, 1-0 Great Lakes Football Conference) didn't score in the third quarter, but it played keep away with the Panthers. KWC (3-3, 0-1) ran three plays in the period and had the ball for a mere 1:23 as Mendenhall and Moon controlled the ball.
Mendenhall hit Diamond Hart with a 15-yard pass nine seconds into the fourth quarter to push the score to 33-7, and Mendenhall scored Urbana's final touchdown on an 18-yard run.
Mendenhall was 21-of-29 for 306 yards with no interceptions.
The Panthers made it respectable with Thomas Gordon scoring twice, on a 10-yard pass from Owen and on a 2-yard run with 5:18 to play.
Lalonde caught his second touchdown pass of the day from 5 yards out from Owen to close the scoring with 1:45 left.
The Panthers were outgained 525-318 in total offense. They managed just 22 rushing yards.
Owen was 28-of-49 through the air for 296 yards. Lalonde caught four passes for 93 yards.
Urbana had 219 yards on the ground to go with Mendenhall's 306 passing yards. Moon ran 16 times for 122 yards.
KWC goes to Missouri S&T on Saturday.
