Football loses at Drake, falls to 2-1
The University of Indianapolis football team traveled to Drake University on Sept. 21, losing to the Bulldogs 31-14, and dropping to 2-1 on the season.
The UIndy football team takes the field prior to the start of its game against the Saint Xavier University Cougars. Photo by Zefeng Zhang
After a scoreless first quarter, the Greyhounds were the first team to find the end zone in the second, when senior quarterback Chris Mills connected with redshirt junior wide receiver Greg Johnson on a 22-yard touchdown pass.
The Bulldogs (1-2) refused to go into the half scoreless, however, and were able to put together a quick drive down the field that resulted in a 52-yard field goal as time expired.
In the third quarter, the Bulldogs began right where they left off at the end of the first half, with a successful opening drive that resulted in 3-yard touchdown pass with 11:46 remaining, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the game, 10-7.
The Bulldogs would extend their lead further in the third quarter, with a 38-yard field goal following a 69-yard drive, making the score 13-7.
Misfortune for the Greyhounds continued throughout the quarter, when the Bulldogs blocked a UIndy punt deep in the Hounds’ territory. The Bulldogs capitalized on the turnover with a 6-yard touchdown pass and two-point conversion, giving Drake a 21-7 advantage.
In the fourth quarter, UIndy’s mistakes continued to lead to more points for the Bulldogs. Following an interception by redshirt junior defensive back Andre Smith at the UIndy two-yard line, the Bulldogs’ defense forced Mills to fumble the ball and took it away in the end zone, extending their lead, 28-7.
Following a Bulldog 37-yard field goal, which pushed the lead to 31-7, the Greyhounds found the end zone one last time with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Mills to senior running back Klay Fiechter.
Besides setting a new school record for career completions, Mills went 23-of-35 through the air with two touchdown passes and one interception.
Johnson had a strong statistical performance with 133 receiving-yards and a touchdown reception, while Fiechter struggled with just 34 rushing-yards and a touchdown reception.
On the defensive side, four Greyhounds finished with double-digit tackles, led by junior defensive back Koby Orris.
The Greyhounds extended their overall record to 2-0 on Sept. 14, defeating the Saint Xavier University Cougars 51-20.
After leading by just six points at the conclusion of the first half, the Greyhounds outscored the Cougars in the second half, 31-6, pulling away and securing the team’s second-consecutive victory of the season.
Redshirt junior defensive back Andre Smith tackles a Saint Xavier ball carrier as teammates junior defensive back Koby Orris and redshirt freshman linebacker Derrick Bryant watch. Photo by Zefeng Zhang
Offensively, the Greyhounds were led by Fiechter, who finished the game with 198 rushing-yards and a touchdown. Fiechter added to his production through receiving, with a 47-yard reception at the beginning of the third quarter.
Following the victory, Fiechter attributed his success to the Greyhounds’ offensive line and the holes they made for him to run through. Fiechter said that besides the blocking, he also was able to see things in the defense that helped him create big plays.
“They [Saint Xavier] really flew to the ball,” Fiechter said. “As soon as I went one way, the linebackers flew to the ball—opened up some cutbacks for me and kind of opened up some holes—but they’re a fast defense, and they’re a good defense.”
After passing for just 75 yards in the first half, Mills matched that same total in one play to start the second half, connecting with Johnson on a 75-yard touchdown pass just nine seconds into the third quarter. Mills went on to finish the game with 256 passing-yards, 30 rushing-yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
The Greyhounds threw the ball just 17 times, compared to running the ball 51 times, but Head Football Coach Bob Bartolomeo said those statistics reflected the team’s strategy.
“We just kept pounding them [Saint Xavier] with the run, and I think we wore them down,” he said. “Our physical play up front kind of took over in the second half.”
Fiechter said that he was not surprised that he received as many carries as he did and that it was something he expected to achieve.
“We felt like we were bigger than them [Saint Xavier] up front and we could push them around a little bit. So our game plan was to run the ball,” Fiechter said.
Defensively, the Greyhounds had a strong performance, racking up a total of five interceptions and three sacks.
Two Greyhound defenders finished the game with double-digit tackles, including redshirt freshman linebacker Derrick Bryant with 12 and redshirt senior defensive back Jerrett Ban with 10.
Although the defense allowed two touchdowns in the first half, along with 260 total yards on 44 plays, Bartolomeo said that there was no change in the game plan that led to the better performance after halftime.
“We made a couple of adjustments, but I think we just played harder,” he said. “We were more accustomed to the type of offense that we were seeing, and therefore we were doing the things, first of all, to stop the run and then get after the quarterback.”
The Greyhounds will look to improve to 3-1 next week on the road on Sept. 28, when they will travel to former Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-opponent Hillsdale College. Kickoff is set to take place at 2:30 p.m.
