The Kenyon football team returned home to McBride Field against the No. 10 DePauw University Tigers for the Owls’ penultimate game of the 2024 season. The Owls put up a fight but were heavily outmatched by the Tigers, as they fell to DePauw by a final score of 65-0. There were moments of strong defensive play for Kenyon as it forced two fumbles in the game, but it was not enough to stymie undefeated DePauw, who seemed to be able to score at will. 

The first half of the game was a difficult one offensively for the Owls, as they managed only two first downs and -4 total yards. The offensive struggles forced the defense to spend the majority of the first half on the field, which allowed the Tigers to take advantage of a tired and overworked Kenyon defensive unit. DePauw scored 28 unanswered first half points, which was accomplished through four touchdown passes.

However, the second half began with more excitement for the Owls, as they successfully ran a trick play, resulting in a recovered onside kick on the kickoff. Kenyon pretended to huddle around kicker Tyler Bell ’27 as he prepared to take the kickoff, but instead of running a traditional kickoff, Bell dribbled a kick 12 yards down the field, which caught the Tigers’ special teams unit completely off guard, and allowed the Owls to recover the football.

Following the onside kick, Kenyon was able to put together a solid seven-play drive, led by quarterback Park Penrod ’25 and running back Drake Lewis ’25. Kenyon made it to DePauw’s 1-yard line, but a costly fumble returned the ball to the Tigers, who subsequently scored a touchdown just three plays later. This was Kenyon’s only trip to the red zone and best scoring opportunity of the game. 

DePauw controlled the rest of the second half, as the Tigers added 28 more points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth, accumulating 664 total yards in the process. The Owls could not build on their yardage total in the second half, as they finished with -4 total yards.

Penrod ended the day 8-for-17, throwing the ball for 47 yards with an interception. Lewis had a team-high nine carries for 27 yards, followed by Brendan Comerford ’27, who ran the ball six times. Comerford also added two receptions for a team-high 18 yards. He was joined by Dylan Carlquist ’26 and James Bernier ’27, with two catches apiece. Defensively, Dominic Simpson ’27 and Jackson Belyn ’27 led the team with seven tackles each.

The Owls will look to finish their season on a high note and honor the senior class, as they play their final home game against Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday. With its record sitting at 4-5 (3-4 NCAC), Kenyon will look to finish at .500 for the first time since 2012.