Football team wins first game on the road
The University of Indianapolis football team defeated Northwood University (1-5; 0-5 GLIAC), 38-7, on Oct. 8.
“We haven’t won there [at Northwood] since 1988,” said Head Coach Bob Bartolomeo.
Junior wide receiver Mar’Quone Edmonds scored two touchdowns during the first half of the game which gave him 11 touchdowns on the season, and he broke a 57-year-old touchdown school record.
UIndy hall-of-famer Dick Nyers is responsible for holding the record since 1954. His record has been tied twice until Edmonds broke it.
Freshman kicker Scott Miller put the Greyhounds on the board during the opening drive of the game, and sophomore running back Klay Fletcher scored two touchdowns of his own during the game.
Sophomore quarterback Chris Mills exceeded 300 yards in passing for the third time this season. He threw 312 yards and completed 25 out of 35 passes.
On the defensive end, the Greyhounds held the Timberwolves to 214 total offensive yards and forced four turnovers.
The defeat against Northwood is the team’s second consecutive win of the season and the first win away from home.
UIndy defeated the University of Findlay 45-28 on Oct. 1. The win fell on Homecoming Weekend for UIndy. The Greyhounds advanced to 3-0 at home.
Wide receiver Ryan Forney avoids two Findlay defenders as he carries the ball across the goal line for a UIndy touchdown during the Homecoming game. Photo by Jessica Stucky
“I think it’s really important that we defend our home turf,” Bartolomeo said. “Homecoming is an important game for a lot of reasons, starting with the student body and the alumni coming back.”
Mills was named the GLIAC “Offensive Player of the Week” after completing 30 out of 38 passes for a total of 323 yards and four touchdowns.
“I think he played well,” Bartolomeo said. “Chris had a great game, but it’s not just Chris Mills. The line gave him time for protection.”
UIndy ruled the field in yardage against the conference’s top-ranked defense. The Greyhounds racked up a total of 472 yards to the Oilers’ 280.
“Our offense played really well in the beginning,” Mills said. “We really deflated their defense.”
Late in the first quarter, Findlay took a 7-0 lead after benefitting from a 50-yard punt return and a UIndy personal foul. However, the Greyhounds responded when sophomore defensive lineman Joe Bell made his first collegiate interception. A touchdown by Edmonds soon followed, which tied the score 7-7.
A failed punt attempt and illegal kick penalty by the Oilers gave the Greyhounds the chance to score again.
Mills snuck into the end zone with the ball and a good extra point put UIndy up 14-7.
“The game really shifted when the punt was snapped over the guy’s [Findlay’s kicker] head,” Mills said. “That really gave us the momentum for the second half.”
UIndy led the Oilers the rest of the game. The final scoring run came when Mills found senior wide receiver Ryan Forney for a short pass and Forney fought his way to the endzone.
Bartolomeo said that the game went well and after reviewing the two halves, he would not have changed anything.
“We played our game, and to Findlay’s credit, they came out with a new offense in the first half. So we had some adjustments to make on the defensive end,” Bartolomeo said.
For the Greyhounds, preparing for a game at home is crucial.
“We talked a lot about playing well at home,” Bartolomeo said. “So far, so good on that stand point.”
Edmonds scored 18 of the Greyhounds’ 45 game points, which was a season high for the team and gave Edmonds his 18th career touchdown.
The Greyhounds will host Saginaw Valley State University on Oct. 15. The game will see more fans as it occurs on the same day as Letter Winner Day, which will be hosted in the Athletics and Recreation Center.
