ADRIAN, Mich. – A raucous crowd filled the stands of Docking Stadium earlier today as the Adrian College football team opened up the 2026 campaign against Ohio Northern University.
Both teams entered today receiving votes in the D3football.com Preseason Top 25 Poll.
Penalties on Ohio Northern's offense led to a lackluster opening drive and a punt for the Polar Bears. They would total 12 penalties on the day.
Jake Wright got the start under center for the Bulldogs, but would split snaps with Sebastian Boswell throughout the game.
The Bulldog offense couldn't get going on its first drive, punting the ball away. However, the Ohio Northern offense quickly went three-and-out.
Adrian started to find success through the air, gaining four first downs before the conclusion of the first quarter. The Polar Bears defense held strong in the red zone, forcing Adrian to settle for a field goal to get the scoring started. The nearly nine-minute drive was the only drive that lasted longer than four minutes for either offense in the first half.
Ohio Northern's chance to answer ended quickly, as Luke Stento intercepted a deep ball from the Polar Bears.
The offenses exchanged punts for most of the second quarter, until Ohio Northern's Owen Fach intercepted a pass across the middle. This put the Polar Bears' offense at their own 27-yard line with 1:09 left in the half. The offense quickly marched down the field and scored on a 13-yard completion as time expired in the first half.
The second half started with a bang for the Bulldogs, as Alex Minnehan returned the kickoff 54 yards to the Ohio Northern 35-yard line. The momentum quickly shifted after a Bulldog pass was intercepted. Penalties on the Ohio Northern offense stifled any chance at a successful drive, and they were once again forced to punt.
Adrian continued to look for an answer on offense, but could not find one in the third quarter. Both offenses punted on their next three drives; the score remained 7-3 in favor of Ohio Northern.
The fourth quarter opened up with a 14-play drive that landed the Bulldogs on the Ohio Northern six-yard line on fourth down. Going for it on fourth down in a pivotal moment, the Polar Bears got to the quarterback, forcing a turnover on downs.
The Bulldog defense needed a stop. A few rushing attempts and an incomplete pass resulted in another punt attempt for the Polar Bears. This time Adrian's special teams blocked the punt, giving the offense great field position to start their next drive.
A few plays later, Jake Wright found Braiden Whitaker in the end zone, making it 10-7 Adrian.
Ohio Northern looked to answer on their next drive. However, Luke Stento's second interception of the day gave Adrian the ball with 8:13 left in the game.
After punting the ball away for the seventh time today, Adrian's defense looked to prevent Ohio Northern's offense from scoring. On third down, Luke Stento jumped a Polar Bear route to earn his third interception of the game.
The Polar Bears defense forced a three-and-out, getting the ball back with just under three minutes remaining in the game.
A Mike Brown pick-six gave the Bulldogs a ten-point lead.
Ohio Northern chipped away at the lead, kicking a 39-yard field goal to put them within a touchdown. Adrian's offense looked to kill the clock with a rushing attack before punting for the ninth time.
The Polar Bears' last chance was abruptly ended as Mike Brown recorded his second interception of the game, sealing Ohio Northern's fate.
Up Next
The Adrian College football team will head to Greenville, Pennsylvania next Saturday to take on Thiel College at 1 PM.
