lonergan
Ann Leppke
19
Truman TSU 4-5 , 3-3
23
Winner Quincy QU 3-5 , 3-3
Truman TSU
4-5 , 3-3
19
Final
23
Quincy QU
3-5 , 3-3
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
TSU Truman 9 0 10 0 19
QU Quincy 0 6 0 17 23

Game Recap: Football | | Brendan Bittner

Lonergan, Defense Lead QU to Comeback on National TV

QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University football team scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 19-6 deficit and defeat Truman State, 23-19, in front of a national television audience on Saturday (Oct. 31) afternoon at QU Stadium.
 
The Hawks (3-5, 3-3 GLVC) and Bulldogs (4-5, 3-3 GLVC) were featured as the Division II Showcase Game of the Week. The game aired live nationally on the American Sports Network and NCAA.com.
 
Fifth-year senior quarterback Nick Lonergan (Jacksonville, Ill.) guided a pair of fourth-quarter drives that gave the Hawks a 20-19 lead with 1:55 to play in the game.
 
True freshman safety Shane Barrett (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt East) stepped up with an interception on the first play of Truman's ensuing drive, leading to a 23-yard field goal by senior Blake Allison (Decatur, Ill./St. Teresa) with 1:16 remaining.
 
That forced the Bulldogs to go the length of the field on their final drive and the Hawks forced four straight incompletions to seal the win, snapping a three-game losing streak. The win also broke a string of three straight wins by the Bulldogs.
 
Lonergan was at his best in the fourth quarter on Saturday, going 9-for-13 for 153 yards in the final 15 minutes of the game. It was his 37th consecutive start and his last at home in a QU uniform.
 
On QU's first drive of the fourth quarter, Lonergan was 4-for-5, finishing the possession with a 20-yard pass to the front corner of the end zone for a wide open De'Carlos Poole (Springfield, Ill.).
 
The Hawks then forced a three-and-out, their third of the second half. The teams then traded punts before Lonergan got the ball back with 4:49 remaining.
 
After a couple incompletions, Lonergan hit sophomore Jake Braskett (Wonder Lake, Ill./McHenry) on back-to-back plays for 23 and 16 yards. Two penalties then backed the Hawks to their own 40-yard line, but facing a 1st-and-25, Lonergan hit sophomore Kody Wood (Jacksonville, Ill.) down the right sideline on a 27-yard pass.
 
Sophomore Chris Harris (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) sprinted for an 11-yard run before Lonergan hit junior Eric Poindexter (Newport News, Va./Warwick) on an 11-yard pass. Two plays later, freshman Darius Burse (Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park) powered through a hole and fell over the goal line to tie the game at 19-19. Allison's extra point gave QU a one-point lead.
 
On the next play from scrimmage, Barrett read the pass from Randy Schroeder and picked it off to set up QU in TSU territory. Allison's field goal stretched the lead to four.
 
The game got off to a conspicuous start for the Hawks. Lonergan led a 13-play drive into Truman territory, but D'Anthony Knight picked off a pass that led to Truman's opening touchdown.
 
The Bulldogs then forced a three-and-out and Mason Murray's (Columbia, Mo./Hickman) punt was blocked out of the back of the end zone for a safety, giving the visitors a 9-0 lead.
 
QU got on the board with 6:43 remaining in the first half when Lonergan found Poindexter on the right sideline and the junior sprinted for the pylon and the 31-yard touchdown.
 
Truman tacked on 10 points in the third quarter to take a 19-6 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
The QU defense posted its best performance of the season, limiting the Bulldogs to 193 yards of offense. QU allowed Truman to run just 57 plays – both figures being season lows for a QU opponent. The 'Dogs managed only 11 first downs and just 39 rushing yards in the game.
 
Lonergan was 23-for-39 overall for 289 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Poindexter was his top target with nine catches for 111 yards and a score. Braskett caught five passes for 67 yards, including four in the second half.
 
Harris had 76 of his 109 rushing yards in the second half as the sophomore averaged 4.7 yards per carry.
 
Redshirt-freshman linebacker T.J. Daniels (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University HS) led the Hawks with eight tackles while freshman linebacker Clayton Cole (Weatherby Lake, Mo./Park Hill) had seven stops.
 
The Hawks return to the field next Saturday (Nov. 7) at 1 p.m. when they take on McKendree (6-2, 4-2 GLVC) in Lebanon, Ill.
 
QU
Print Friendly Version