#18 Spartans Football Fall to #10 St. John's in NCAA First Round
Nov 21, 2015
#2 Dylan Schultz caught the Spartans lone touchdown in the 2015 First Round of the NCAA Championships.
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The #18-ranked University of Dubuque Spartan football team faced #10 St. John's for the second time this season and were hoping for a different outcome, unfortunately some miscues provided the host Johnnies the momentum and the victory 51-7 over the Spartans on Saturday in the First Round of the 2015 NCAA Football Championships. The Spartans made their second appearance in four years for coach Stan Zweifel.
The Spartans held the hosts to nine points in the first quarter, but the Johnnies would score 14 points in each of the final three quarters of play. They would score on all four Spartan turnovers (three interceptions, and one fumble). UD's offense was hampered in the first series after Maurece Herrion injured an ankle and left the game and would not return. He ran four times for sixteen yards, as teammate Dai-Von Vance-Jenkins would be held to 21 yards in 14 carries. Tarshma Jackson carried the ball four times for 21 yards in the loss.
The quickness of the Johnnies held UD to 11 first downs and a low third and fourth down conversions to 5 of 16. Quarterback Rio Johnson completed 14-23 attempts for 166 yards and a touchdown to Dylan Schultz late in the second quarter. Chris Bagley grabbed four passes for 89 yards as Schultz caught six for 55 yards and the Spartans only score of the afternoon.
Trevor Stauner led the defense with 11 tackles, Derek Trotter had 10 tackles and two pass break-ups.
The Spartans end their season 8-3 overall and will be looking to defend their 2015 IIAC Championship in 2016 when the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairiewolves enter the conference as an official team.
