TIFFIN, Ohio – The Capital University football team looked sharp in the early going Saturday, but was unable to sustain the momentum in a 73-17 loss at 12th-ranked Heidelberg in an Ohio Athletic Conference contest at Mayer Field.

The Crusaders (1-4 overall, 1-3 OAC) rushed for 293 yards in the contest, but were penalized 11 times for 101 yards. Heidelberg, which entered the game as the nation's No. 1 scoring offense, totaled 525 yards, scored over 20 points in each of the first three quarters and didn't punt during the affair.

After the Student Princes (5-0, 4-0) returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, sophomore b-back Bo Hardy (Galloway, Ohio) took a handoff from freshman quarterback Chase Longwell (Hilliard, Ohio) and found a gaping hole in the middle of the line, rumbling 69 yards to level the score at 7-7 with 13:49 to play in the first quarter.

After a pair of Heidelberg touchdowns, the Crusaders responded with a 15-play, 67-yard drive that lasted nearly eight minutes and was capped by a 30-yard field goal by junior kicker Joey Riley (Twinsburg, Ohio).

The Student Princes tallied three more times in the half and posted a safety on a punt snap through the back of the end zone to take a 43-10 lead into the locker room. Capital rushed for 193 yards in the period, while Heidelberg rushed for 118 and passed for 163 for a total of 281 yards.

The Crusaders tacked on one more score with 2:04 to play in the third quarter. Senior slot back Alex Coleman (Columbus, Ohio) took a pitch and raced 55 yards for a touchdown. Junior kicker Travis Bosanac (Strongsville, Ohio) tacked on the extra point to make it 63-17 at that point.

Coleman finished with eight carries for 116 yards, while Hardy was close behind with 92 yards on eight rushes. Freshman quarterback Oliver Rouch (Grandview Heights, Ohio) ran for 31 yards, all in the fourth quarter.

Freshman defensive back Dallas Banks (Crestwood, Ky.) led the defense with 10 tackles.

The Crusaders take on their third straight ranked opponent next Saturday when they host defending national champion and top-ranked Mount Union. Kickoff at Bernlohr Stadium is slated for 1:30 p.m.