Ohio State and Wright State have met every season since 2010, and are set to renew one of the longest standing rivalries in the National Club Football Association on Sunday afternoon.
The Buckeyes lost the first official NCFA matchup against Wright State in 2010, but since then are 14-1 against the Raiders and have not lost since 2014. The matchup rivals Coppin State vs. George Mason as the longest running series in the NCFA.
Wright State opened the season with a thrilling 34-30 win over Oakland University, a game that saw the Raiders erase a 30-7 deficit, scoring 27 unanswered to win the game. It is believed to be one of, if not the biggest comeback in NCFA history. The Raiders received a forfeit victory Week 3 after UW-Milwaukee canceled the contest, however Wright State has dropped back-to-back contests against Michigan State and George Mason to fall to 2-2 heading into the matchup with Ohio State.
The Raiders entered the season with the NCFA’s longest running winning streak, having ripped off five consecutive wins to end the 2024 campaign with a 6-2 record, their best overall season since 2010. Wright State narrowly missed out on a playoff appearance in 2024, and has struggled to find consistency on offense in 2025 following the departure of 2024 First Team All-American quarterback, Chad Swanson.
It has not been all bad for Wright State however, as the Raiders swept the NCFA’s Week 2 Players of the Week with the win over Oakland in which running back Damir Dewberry and linebacker David Frederick both received national honors. Dewberry rushed for an astounding 301 yards on just 18 carries while Frederick posted 13 total tackles and the game-sealing interception against the Grizzlies.
On Ohio State’s side, the Buckeyes are coming off of their scheduled bye week facing back-to-back win-or-go-home games against Wright State and Toledo. The winner of the Great Lakes East, which consists of just the three programs, will advance to play in the Great Lakes Conference Championship Game on the second-to-last Sunday of November.
The Buckeyes sit at 4-0 with victories over George Mason, Michigan State and Ohio Wesleyan (JV), to go along with a forfeit victory of their own against Denison (JV). Ohio State is led by a slew of veterans, including senior QB Niko Pappas, who was named the NCFA Offensive Player of the Week following the win over Ohio Wesleyan, in which he completed his first 14 passes and accounted for nearly 400 yards of offense on his own. He has a number of veteran receivers to throw to, with senior Ricardo Washington, senior Charlie Harlow and junior Desean Bonte all over 100-yards receiving this season. Additionally, tight ends Aidan Donovan and Tommy Delaney have combined to haul in 11 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown through three games.
Ohio State’s running game also features three backs that are expected to play a critical role down the stretch. Ethan Young, Lucas Fenstermaker and Milan Jackson have all seen time in the backfield the season, combining for 55 carries, 243 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Jackson, who saw his first significant playing time against Ohio Wesleyan, added three receptions for 33 yards and a score through the air against the Bishops.
Defensively, the Buckeyes have had a number of standout performers through three games. Trey Jones is inching closer to the program’s career sack record, needing just one sack to tie the record of 22.5 set by Mike Fenstermaker (2016-19). Meanwhile, freshman linebacker Tyler Siegel leads Ohio State in total tackles with 27, adding a sack and a fumble recovery to his name. Ohio State has posted four interceptions this season, at least one in every game in 2025 and 10 in the last 12 games dating back to 2024. Safety Keegan Lynch has hauled in a pair while Bonte and Topaz Linton each have one. In the win over Ohio Wesleyan, Bonte became the first Buckeye since Zach Hayes in 2023 to record an interception and a touchdown reception in the same game.
Ohio State is set to play at Wright State’s Mulhollan Field for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. Kickoff is set for Sunday, Oct. 26 at Noon. Admission is $10 at the gate. For those unable to attend, the game is set to be live-streamed on Campus Nation via YouTube.
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