QUINCY, Ill. – After rushing for just 92 yards in the season opener, the Quincy University football team leaned on the ground game on their way to a 59-27 win over Iowa Wesleyan on Saturday (Sept. 11). The Hawks rushed for over 300 yards led by running back, Tremayne Lee. 

QU took it to the Tigers up front as the offensive line helped Hawk rushers average 7.7 yards per carry during the contest. On the flip side, the Quincy defense stymied the IWU run game all four quarters and held the visitors to -27 net rushing. 

Both offenses started at lightning speed and scored on the first four drives of the game. The Hawks scored through the air after Michael Valdovinos found NaKyrien Jack and Chris Poindexter down in the red zone for a pair of touchdown scores on the first two offensive drives. Then Tremayne Lee ripped off a 32-yard run just before the end of the first quarter. After the opening 15 minutes, QU led 21-12. 

Iowa Wesleyan kicked and made a field goal a minute and a half into the second quarter to make it a one possession game, 21-15, with 13:24 before halftime. 

Just three plays later on a third and ten, Grant Hajicek escaped the pocket and found a wide open Eugene Witherspoon for a 65-yard bomb. The Hawks led 28-15 after the point after was made by Michael Klotz. 

Nearly ten minutes of game clock went by in the second quarter when Iowa Wesleyan scored on a 3-yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-21. 

After a short kick off and an offsides by the Tigers, QU started the next drive in good field position at their own 42-yard line. The offense did not have to stay on the field long as Lee ripped off a 58-yard sprint through the defense to give the Hawks a 35-21 lead. 

Collin Olla-Chatman got a drive-ending sack on IWU's next possession which gave the ball back to a scorching hot QU offense. Hajicek led Quincy to another score in six plays by finding Witherspoon for another score, this time a 17-yard reception. 

QU led 42-21 at the half and had 369 yards of total offense after two quarters. 

The Hawks kept their foot on the gas as they scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter and tacked on a field goal in the fourth. 

Iowa Wesleyan received the second half kick off and scored on their third offensive play from scrimmage. The extra point was not converted, and the score sat at 42-27. 

Lightning struck twice when Hajicek connected with Witherspoon for 67-yards on the very first play of the ensuing drive. It was the Miami Garden native's third touchdown grab of the game and already his fifth of the season. The Hawk lead grew to 49-27. 

Late in the third quarter, Grant Hajicek ran one in himself to give the Hawks plenty of insurance at 56-27. The freshman from Columbia, Missouri came in the game during the later part of the first quarter and finished the day with three touchdown passes, a rushing score, and 225 yards through the air. He also threw two interceptions. 

Tremayne Lee finished with 201 yards on the ground on 17 attempts with two scores. The SIU-Carbondale transfer averaged 11.8 yards per carry. 

Eugene Witherspoon finished with six catches on ten targets, 176 yards, and three touchdowns. In two games the junior receiver has racked up 11 catches, 294 yards, and five touchdowns. 

On defense, the front seven collected seven total sacks and were led in tackles by Melvin Brock and Trevon Rhodes. Brock collected 16 total tackles with eight solo, and Rhodes finished with 13 total tackles. Will Henegar had seven tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. 

Senior kicker Michael Klotz went 8-for-8 on extra points, made his lone field goal attempt of 28 yards, and averaged 65.3 yards per kickoff with six touchbacks. 

Next Up
The QU football team will play another non-conference home game next Saturday (Sept. 18) when Walsh University comes to town. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM.