QUINCY, Ill. – Despite a record-breaking day from
CJ Jackson, the Quincy University Sprint Football team came up just short in a defensive battle on Sunday afternoon at QU Stadium, falling 9-7 to Bellarmine. Jackson carried the ball a program-record 32 times for 185 yards, setting new single-game marks in both categories while powering the Hawks' offense.
The opening quarter saw the Hawks forced to defend a short field after an interception, and the Knights capitalized with a 3-yard touchdown run to go ahead 6-0 after the extra point was missed. Both defenses controlled the tempo from there, with Quincy forcing a pair of turnovers in the first half — interceptions from
Joell Campos and
Donnell Packer — but unable to convert them into points. The Hawks' best first-half scoring chance came late in the second quarter, marching to the Bellarmine 12-yard line before a penalty and incompletions stalled the drive. The visitors carried their 6-0 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter remained scoreless as both defenses held strong. Quincy put together a promising drive midway through the quarter, highlighted by big runs from Jackson and quarterback
Kiet Truong, but a costly sack and penalty forced the Hawks to punt from midfield. Bellarmine answered with a long 16-play, 87-yard march early in the fourth quarter, draining more than eight minutes off the clock before kicking a 30-yard field goal to extend their lead to 9-0.
Quincy responded immediately. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Jackson broke free for a 50-yard run to spark the offense. The Hawks pushed to the goal line, and Jackson finished the drive himself with a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
Jensen Laughlin's extra point pulled Quincy within 9-7 with just over eight minutes remaining. The defense forced a punt on the next possession, giving the Hawks a chance to drive for the lead. Quincy moved inside the Bellarmine 20 with under a minute to play, but a fumble at the 14-yard line ended the comeback bid as the Knights held on.
Defensively,
Donnell Packer tied the QU single-game record with 19 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception. Packer has been a model of consistency, posting double-digit tackles in all four games this season and leading the Hawks with 57 total stops on the year. Quincy's defense as a whole was strong, finishing with 75 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, and two interceptions.
Kaden Buchholz and
Austin Moore each contributed in the backfield, combining for a sack, while Campos added his interception to go along with Packer's.
The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday, October 18th, when they host Midway University in a rematch at QU Stadium. The Eagles handed Quincy a loss earlier this season, and the Hawks will look to even the score on their home field. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM.
