The Spartans of Aurora University squared off against Wisconsin Lutheran College on senior day at Vago field. The Spartans showed poise and relentlessness as they came from behind to win in dramatic
fashion, 24-21.
The win keeps the Spartans hopes of a Northern Athletics Conference Championship alive as the Warriors saw their hopes dashed.
The first quarter saw little action from either team's offense as the two combined for 97 yards of total offense and seven punts.
With the start of the second quarter, the game took a whole different tempo. After the eighth punt of the contest gave Wisconsin Lutheran their first possession in the second quarter, the Spartan defense hit pay dirt.
On the fifth play of the drive, Warrior sophomore quarterback Zach Shaw was intercepted by Spartan
senior defensive back
Mike Langhurst at the AU 44 yard line. Langhurst with no one in front of him took the ball back to the house, 56 yards for the game's first score, 7-0 AU.
The Spartan defense would step up once again on the following Warrior possession as junior safety Anthony Dillabough made a diving catch to intercept Shaw for the second time in the game.
The Spartans took control of the ball with 9:32 left in the first half and would march 68 yards on seven plays before junior quarterback Jimmy Bevell was able to find junior wide out Evan
Hackbarth on a jump ball play in the corner of the end zone.
The score gave Aurora a 14-0 lead and what looked to be control of the game. However the Warriors would not go away quietly as they would put up 21 unanswered points.
The Warriors started the comeback effort, returning the following kickoff back to the Spartan 25 yard line setting up a three yard touchdown by freshman running back Donavin Tucker with 4:47 remaining in the first half.
Possession of the ball changed hands several times until the Warriors took over with 37 seconds remaining in the half. On their first play of the drive, Shaw completed a pass to sophomore wide receiver Josh Stodola down the middle of the field. Stodola was able to elude the Spartan defenders dashing 59 yards for the touchdown.
This evened the score at 14-14 as the first half came to and end.
The Warriors picked up in the second half right where they left off in the first. They receive the kickoff and then put together a 58 yard scoring drive in just under four minutes.
Shaw capped off the drive with a one yard touchdown plunge. The Warriors had taken control of the momentum and the lead with the score now at 21-14.
The remainder of the third quarter was a defensive showdown as both teams increased the pressure. The teams traded seven possessions that resulted in three turnovers and four three and outs by the
offenses. The third quarter came to an end with the Warriors leading 21-14.
Both teams battled during the fourth quarter but unable to capitalize until the 6:28 mark of the fourth quarter when senior quarterback Spencer Adams completed an 18 yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Ryan Mizgate. The score came at the end of a six play 67 yard drive.
The Spartans regained the all important momentum and knotted the score 21-21.
The Warriors answered on the ensuing kickoff and were approaching scoring position when Spartan senior cornerback Jim Fierro intercepted the pass from Shaw preventing a possible scoring opportunity. The Fierro interception was the Spartans fourth of the afternoon.
Despite the momentum from the defense, the Spartan offense couldn't capitalize and punted the ball back to the Warriors, with sophomore punter Derrick Powell pinning the Warriors at their own 15 yard line.
With just 2:25 left in the game, the Warriors tried to run the ball with Tucker but Dillabough stepped up and laid massive hit forcing a fumble which the sophomore safety Kevin Glock recovered at the Warrior 20 yard line.
The time the Spartan offense took advantage, running the ball down to the goal line on five plays before stalling with fourth and goal from the one yard line. The Spartans ran the play clock down to seven seconds remaining and called upon senior place kicker Ryan Subick.
Subick's sure foot put the ball through the uprights with four seconds left on the clock and sealing a spectacular 24-21 AU win.
On the afternoon, Bevell and Adams would combine for 234 yards passing, completing 16 of 35 passes. Junior wide out Jordan Peterson caught three passes for 102 yards while Mizgate had five catches for 35 yards and a touchdown; Hackbarth also had a touchdown on one of his three catches which totaled 45 yards.
The Spartan defense was headed by Dillabough with 14 total tackles (six unassisted). Junior lineback Jeff Krause and freshman linebacker Anthony Ellison both tallied eight tackles each. On the day, the Spartans had four interceptions by four different players (Young, Fierro, Glock, and Langhurst) and forced six Warrior turnovers while AU turned the ball over twice.
The Spartans travel to Concordia University Chicago for the regular season finale on Saturday, November 13, 2010. Game time is set for noon in River Forest, Ill.
