poindexter
Ann Leppke
14
Quincy QU 0-1
31
Winner Northern Michigan NMU 1-1
Quincy QU
0-1
14
Final
31
Northern Michigan NMU
1-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
QU Quincy 0 0 14 0 14
NMU Northern Michigan 10 7 7 7 31

Game Recap: Football | | Brendan Bittner

Hawks Defeated In Season Opener at Northern Michigan

QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University football team nearly came back from a 17-0 deficit in the third quarter, but Northern Michigan responded immediately to a Quincy touchdown and pulled away with a 31-14 win at the Superior Dome in Marquette, Mich. on Saturday (Sept. 12) afternoon.
 
It was the season opener for the Hawks (0-1), who will now play in their newly renovated QU Stadium next Saturday, Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. against Lincoln. It will be their first game in the facility since 2010.
 
In the first half, the Hawks never got into a rhythm offensively and struggled to get the running game going. Quincy rushed for just two yards in the opening half and was out-gained overall, 214-139.
 
Meanwhile, the NMU quarterback-receiver combination of Shaye Brown and Marcus Tucker provided problems for the QU defense. Tucker caught six passes in the first half for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Brown was 15-for-18 for 171 yards.
 
Quincy drove inside the Northern Michigan 10-yard line early in the second with help from a 69-yard pass from senior quarterback Nick Lonergan (Jacksonville, Ill.) to junior receiver Eric Poindexter (Newport News, Va./Monroe College). On fourth down, though, Lonergan brought down for a sack on fourth down. The Hawks also turned the ball over on downs inside NMU territory on their next possession and went into halftime trailing, 17-0.
 
The Hawks received the ball to start the second half and marched down the field for a 14-play, 65-yard drive, capped by Lonergan's weaving 16-yard touchdown run on third-and-11. The Hawks converted on four third down plays on the drive.
 
The Wildcats (1-1) went back down the field on their next drive, but freshman linebacker Chymasie Malik Bighems (Bartow, Fla./Fort Meade) forced a fumble on a quarterback sneak on the goal line and the Hawks took over after the touchback.
 
QU moved into scoring position on a 50-yard pass from Lonergan to junior receiver De'Carlos Poole (Springfield, Ill.), and two plays later sophomore running back Chris Harris (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) found the end zone from one-yard out to trim the deficit to 31-14.
 
The Brown-Tucker combination answered that with a 68-yard touchdown connection that deflated the sails in the Hawks' momentum and stretched the lead back to 24-14.
 
The Hawks again moved the ball inside the red zone on a lengthy drive early in the fourth quarter, but the Hawks mishandled a handoff and the 'Cats took over at their own 10-yard line. NMU took four minutes, 24 seconds off the clock on the ensuing touchdown drive off the turnover to put the game out of reach.
 
Lonergan finished 18-for-29 through the air for 300 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Poindexter was the leading target with six catches for 142 yards. Sophomore Kody Wood (Jacksonville, Ill.) caught three passes for 60 yards. Nine different players caught a pass for the visitors.
 
Harris ran 18 times for 69 yards and a touchdown as the Hawks gained 65 yards on the ground in the second half.
 
Quincy had no answer for Brown or Tucker. Brown did not throw an incompletion in the second half, going 23-for-26 for 353 yards and three touchdowns overall. Tucker caught 10 balls for 205 yards and three scores. Aaron Harris led the NMU rushing attack with 82 yards and a touchdown.
 
Northern Michigan out-gained Quincy, 476-369, in the game. Both teams committed one turnover.
 
Sophomore defensive end Jacob Lounsberry (Sherman, Ill./Williamsville) led the QU defense with eight tackles and a sack. Bighems added seven tackles and a forced fumble.
 
The Hawks play their home opener on Saturday (Sept. 19) against Lincoln at QU Stadium – the first game in the facility following a $4 million renovation. The Hawks will host Family Fun Day outside the stadium with bounce houses and other activities for children prior to kickoff. The Hawks will also give away t-shirts to the first 1,000 fans in attendance to commemorate the inaugural game in the new QU Stadium.
 
Reserve chairback season tickets and VIP parking packages are on sale now by calling the QU athletic office at 217-228-5290 during regular business hours.
 
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