Eagles outlast Pride 31-16
DUBUQUE, Iowa – Dalzell Field welcomed in fans for the second time this season, but a passionate crowd couldn't help the Pride (0-3, 0-0 North) overcome an early deficit to the Central Methodist Eagles (2-1, 0-0 South) in a 31-16 loss on Saturday.
Central Methodist took the opening drive 75 yards on five plays, capping it off with a four-yard rushing score by quarterback Paxton DeLaurent to take the early 7-0 lead. CMU scored its second touchdown of the day early in the second quarter off of a 12-yard pass from DeLaurent to Koale Schroeder, before kicker Samuel Petrin connected on a 37-yard field goal to extend the Eagles' lead to 17-0 heading into halftime.
Penalties (12 for 120 yards) plagued the Pride and contributed to a stalled Clarke offense in the first half. Clarke scored its first touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter when quarterback Kenyon Williams (SO/San Diego, Calif.) found Cesar Aguilera (SO/Port Isabel, Texas) for a 17-yard strike, trimming the Eagle lead to 17-7.
However, a touchdown grab by CMU's Kooper Wilson and an ensuing rushing score by Manuyl Langlois in the fourth quarter pushed Central Methodist's lead to 31-7 with 6:16 to play.
Clarke's offense saw some late-game sparks, as running back Garrett Egan (JR/Merced, Calif.) caught the corner of the end zone on a nine-yard rush to make it 31-14 with 3:15 left in regulation. On the following possession, CMU's Petrin botched a snap as he was lining up to punt and kicked the ball out the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety and cuttng the Pride's deficit to 31-16 with 46 seconds left to go.
Clarke fielded the kickoff at its own 48-yard line and managed to move the ball down to the Eagle's 20-yard line after Williams connected with Jayden Wyer (FR/Houston, Texas) for 18 yards on the first play of the drive and rushed for another 13 two plays later. However, with six seconds remaining, Williams took a shot to the end zone and was picked off by CMU's Brandon Molinar to end the game.
The Pride sacked DeLaurent four times, with Griffin Mulcahy (SO/Pecatonica, Ill.), Alexander Schaad (JR/Cincinnati, Ohio) and Bryce Carlisle (FR/Inglewood, Calif.) all recording a full sack, while Israel Hernandez and Javaris Jackson each picked up a half. Mulcahy led the defense with eight total tackles. Kenneth Spaight (JR/Rodeo, Calif.) picked off DeLaurent twice in the first half but was later ejected on a targeting call in the third quarter.
DeLaurent finished the game 18-of-28 for 230 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, in addition to racking up an additional 67 yards and a first-quarter touchdown run on the ground. Williams finished 11-of-19 for 150 yards, two interceptions and a score. On the ground, Egan led the way with 86 yards on 13 carries, followed by Craig Elmore (SO/Chicago, Ill.) and Willams with 26 apeice.
The Pride will be back in action on Sept. 18 to face Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.