Cougars Run Past Blue Devils 77-14
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lawrence Tech (1-4) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (4-2) | 14 | 28 | 28 | 7 | 77 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) football team ran past the visiting Blue Devils of Lawrence Technological University by a final score of 77-14 on Saturday, October 12.
Less than two minutes after LTU took a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter of Saturday's matchup, the Cougars responded with a 55-yard pass from Joshua Kulka to McCall Ray to even the score at 7-7. With 3:44 left to play in the first quarter, Kulka connected with Bohde Dickerson for a 22-yard touchdown pass to put the Cougars on top 14-7. A two-yard run from Ryan Walsh gave USF the 21-7 lead at the 7:37 mark in the second quarter. Lawrence Tech put another seven points on the board to cut the Cougars' lead to 21-14. Saint Francis responded, scoring three more touchdowns in the last five minutes of the half, including receiving touchdowns from Colin McPeek, O'Vauntay Vickers and David Smith.
The Cougars only needed two plays and 49 seconds to put another seven points on the scoreboard to open the second half. This time it was a 75-yard pass from Adjaye Dandridge to Ray. Senior defensive back Isaiah Higgins intercepted the Blue Devils' quarterback and returned the ball 31 yards for a pick-six with 13:50 left to play in the third quarter. Seven minutes later, Elijah Hunter forced a fumble and recovered the ball to give possession to Saint Francis. Grant Gremel then ran the ball nine yards into the LTU endzone to increase the Cougars' lead to 62-14. Lenny Bennett closed out the third quarter with a four-yard run for his first touchdown of the afternoon. Ja'Suan Lambert put USF up 77-14 with a 16-yard rushing touchdown with just over two minutes left to play in the game. The Saint Francis defense held the Blue Devils scoreless in the second half as the Cougars secured the 77-14 home victory.
The Cougars put together 575 total yards of offense on Saturday, including 422 net passing yards. Kulka finished the afternoon completing 15 of 19 passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns. Smith led the Cougars with 47 rushing yards, averaging 9.4 yards per carry. Ray had three receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns, while Vickers brought in five catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. Austin Deleon and William Del Cid combined for a perfect day on extra-point attempts, kicking 11 successful attempts.
Defensively, Wyatt Penney led with seven total tackles and a forced fumble. Shayne Spear finished the afternoon with six total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss of four yards and a fumble recovery. Tamarris Springfield also finished the afternoon with six total tackles. Tracy Dowling, Marquise Cross and Spear combined for three sacks for a total loss of 24 yards. Nick Nondorf, Dowling, Hunter, and Spear all were credited with a fumble recovery on Saturday.
Up next, USF football (4-2) will open up conference play at Judson University on Saturday, October 19. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. in Streamwood, Ill.
Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.
