The Online Reflector

The UIndy football team defeated   the McKendree University Bearcats on Sept. 22,  winning by a score of 45-15.

Senior wide receiver Mar’quone Edmonds had 10 catches, which included 169 receiving yards along with two touchdowns.

During the game, Edmonds brought his career total in receiving touchdowns to 27 and claimed the program’s record in that category.

Junior running back Klay Fiechter averaged 6.0 yards per carry, and had  144 yards on the ground, which proved to be a personal best.

On the defensive side of the ball, UIndy was led by senior linebacker Tyler Peterman, who had 14 total tackles.

At the beginning of the game, both defenses prevented either team from driving down the field as each possession was either a punt or turnover.

The Greyhounds started off the game with turnovers on two of their first three drives, and failed to put any points on the scoreboard until late in the first quarter off a 15-yard touchdown by Fiechter.

Early in the second quarter, both teams were tied 7-7. UIndy took control from that point, however, outscoring the Bearcats 38-7.

The Greyhounds offense was able to be successful on nearly every one of their last seven drives, scoring on six of them.

UIndy defeated the Quincy University Hawks 35-7 on Sept. 15.

It was the Greyhound’s first appearance in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

The team produced about 400 yards of total offense, with all five touchdowns coming from at least 15 yards out.

Junior quarterback Chris Mills threw for 233 yards and a touchdown, while Edmonds had 113 receiving yards along with a receiving touchdown.

Edmonds was denied one touchdown score earlier in the game, after the Greyhound’s offense was penalized for holding.

Fiechter scored three times in the game, and totaled 268 yards, with 92 of them on the ground.

Fiechter also delivered a 75-yard punt return, which marked the third punt-return touchdown in the last four years and the longest since 1998.

The Greyhounds defense prevented Quincy from scoring until the Hawks reached the endzone within the last 90 seconds of the game.

Leading the Greyhounds in total tackles was junior linebacker Todd Hacker, who had 14 tackles.

Senior linebacker Max Davis had 10 tackles and a forced fumble, while sophomore defensive back Koby Orris had a fumble recovery that he returned for 56 yards and a touchdown.

The touchdown was the defense’s first of the season.

A week before, the Greyhounds visited Division-I Western Illinois University and were defeated 27-17.

The greyhounds established more total yards and first downs, but the Leathernecks corralled four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.

Davis, Hacker and senior linebacker Tyler Peterman all reached double figures in tackles.

The Greyhound defense held the opponent to a field goal late in the game, following another turnover, but the resulting two-possession lead by the Leathernecks ultimately resulted in a victory.

Head Football Coach Bob Bartolomeo said that the loss to the Leathernecks was due to both the offense and defensive sides of the ball, and that all together those mistakes led to the loss.

“One of our big issues during that game was that our defense kept giving up big plays, which obviously was not good for us, and our offense had several turnovers,” Bartolomeo said.

Fiechter agreed that the offense’s turnovers were a reason for the loss and said that the team needs to improve on that part.

“Our offense was not as good as it should have been. Four turnovers were too much, so what we needed to do, and need to do next time, is clean things up,” Fiechter said.

In spite of being 0-2 at the time, the team had high hopes heading into the matchup with Quincy, and players realized that the reason for their slow start was their own, according to Bartolomeo.

“Our first games, we played two very good football teams,” Bartolomeo said. “Right now, we are 0-2 and we are beating ourselves.”

Despite the two losses, Fiechter had high expectations heading into conference play, citing the team’s mood for the rest of the season.

“I think we will do well in conference,” he said. “Everyone is excited.”

Bartolomeo said he remains unsure of how the team’s season will go, but with the leadership they have, the potential to turn around the season is there.

“You never know how far you will go,” Bartolomeo said. “You can have some key players getting injured—and that would be unfortunate. After all, football is survival. But the sky is also the limit for us. We have got a veteran team with potential for a great year.”

The Greyhounds will look to extend their winning streak to three games at Missouri S&T on Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m.