Spartans Football Win in OT on Homecoming
Oct 21, 2017
DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque football needed overtime and help of the south wind for the 28-27 homecoming victory over the Simpson College Storm on Saturday on Chalmers Field in front of one of the largest crowds of the season. A tie game after regulation 21-21 pushed the game into extras and the Spartans received the ball first. Maurece Herrion scored on a nine yard run and Brayden Neuendorf connected on the extra point to put UD ahead 28-21. Simpson moved the ball and scored on a three yard run, before they missed the extra point handing the win to the Spartans in the 15-30 mph south winds by a 28-27 margin.
UD jumped out to a 14-0 halftime mark before the Storm added a 12 yard touchdown pass with 6:37 left in the third, UD responded on a one play drive when Dwayne Allen Jr. broke through the defense and scampered 75 yards for the TD. Against the wind in the fourth quarter Simpson would score twice to tie the game 21-21.
Allen finished the afternoon with 202 rushing yards in 24 carries, Herrion added 16 carries for 88 yards and each scored a touchdown. Dylan Schultz grabbed five catches for 39 yards and a touchdown. Conor Feckley completed 11-20 pass attempts for 86 yards. Punter Jacob Rentz set a new school record with a 79 yard punt in the victory, he finished with five punts for 202 yards (40.4 average). Neuendorf kicked off four times for 250 yards for an average of 62.5 yards and a pair of touchbacks, and was 4-4 in extra points.
Defensively Le"Devin Smith led with 16 tackles and two pass break-ups. Derek Trotter finished with a dozen tackles and an interception. UD forced the Storm into two fumbles and four interceptions (Trotter, Chad Marsh, Derek Schambow, and Markhus Taylor).
The Spartans improved to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in the IIAC and will travel to play unbeaten Wartburg College Knights (7-0 overall, 5-0 in IIAC) next week, Oct. 28 in Waverly at 1:00 p.m.
