Spartans Football Win Ground Game Against Norse
Sep 24, 2016
DECORAH, Iowa - The University of Dubuque football team scored four times without a passing touchdown on Saturday and forced the host Norse into committing a safety late in the game to remain unblemished at a perfect 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Iowa Conference play with a 30-17 victory.
UD added some points on the scoreboard first after a Joseph McMahon 34 yard frumble return for a touchdown with 12:06 left in the opening quarter of action. The Norse responded on one play :14 second drive for a rush of 74 yards and a touchdown to knot the game at 7-7. UD reacted in the next drive, a six play 75 yard touchdown off a Maurece Herrion 13 yard run with 9:17 left of the first quarter to re-take the lead 14-7. Luther would slice into the early lead with 3:12 left of the first on a 35 yard field goal, score 14-10. If the Norse could do it, so did the Spartans on a one play, 11 second rush by Dwayne Allen Jr. who out ran the Norse defense for a 67 yard scamper to pay dirt to extend the Spartan lead to 21-10. The field conditions and defenses would hold that mark until halftime, 21-10 favoring UD.
Defense continued to lead the way in the third quarter until UD's Herrion plowed his way to a six yard touchdown run with 4:50 left to increase lead to 28-10. The Norse took first drive of the final quarter down the field on a 15 play, 80 yard march using 8:35 on the clock to cut UD's lead to 28-17. The Spartans next drive would be stopped and Connor O'Malley would punt for 46 yards and place the ball inside the Norse nine yard lne. UD's defense one again stepped up and in back-to-back plays would push back the Norse a -7 yards before an incomplete pass would give Luther fourth down at their own two yard line. A rush for a -2 yards to the Norse goal line would hand the Spartans a safety and increase their lead to 30-17.
The Spartans capped off the afternoon with 165 yards rushing and 166 yards passing for a total of 331 yards of offense. UD trailed in possession time 24:30 to Luther's 35:30. The Spartans would convert 2 of 12 third down conversions and were 1-1 in fourth down conversions. In the sloppy field conditions UD's ground attack was led by Dwayne Allen Jr., who rushed eight times for 92 yards and a touchdown. Maurece Herrion fought his way through 19 rushes for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Conor Feckley completed 14-30 attempts for 166 yards. Najee Toomer grabbed five passes for 75 yards and Austin Morgan and Dylan Schultz would combine for six catches and 60 yards.
O'Malley punted seven times for 266 yards for a 38.0 yard average. Defensively Le'Devin Smith led all tacklers with 14 tackles trailed by teammate Michael Joseph who had 13 tackles and Derek Trotter who added 10 tackles and an interception.
The Spartans will journey to Pella, Iowa, next week when they face the host Central College Dutch at 1:00 p.m. The Dutch won on the road at Loras this week by a 42-34 score. Both teams enter next week with 4-0, 2-0 in IIAC records.
