Homecoming 2016 on the Aurora University campus saw the Spartan football team send everyone home happy as they defeated the Concordia University Chicago Cougars 28-26.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE:  Aurora University 28, Concordia University Chicago 26
LOCATION: Aurora, Illinois - Vago Field
RECORDS: Aurora University 3-2; 2-0 NACC; Concordia Chicago 2-3; 0-1 NACC
ATTENDANCE: 937
DURATION: 2:47
WEATHER: 64 degrees and sunny.
 
FOR THE SPARTANS                                                     
As a team, AU ran for 223 yards and 5.3 yards per carry.
Danny Logiurato scored two more touchdowns on the day.
Kam Dawtyne had a team-leading 14 tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown.
Connor Olson ran for 114 yards on 23 carries with Tyree Chaplin adding nine rushes for 65 yards and a touchdown.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cougars scored on their first possession of the game with the AU defense stopping a two-point conversion try and the score was 6-0. That would be the score at the end of the first quarter.
On their second poessession of the second quarter, the Spartans drove 52 yards in eight plays for a one-yard touchdown run by Tyree Chaplin and after the Zac Mirabelli extra point kick, AU led 7-6.
The Spartan defense held on the next series giving the ball back to the AU offense. This time the AU offense went 61 yards in nine plays, capped off with an 11-yard passing touchdown from Geron Rogers to Danny Logiurato and the Spartans now led 14-6.
After going into halftime up by a touchdown (14-6) the Spartans and Cougars traded a series apiece before CUC found the end zone to end on their second drive to pull within two at 14-12.
Concordia Chicago set up another score off a successul onside kick and with just over four minutes left in the third, AU trailed 18-14.
On the first drive of the fourth quarter, Spartan Kam Dawtyne intercepted a Cougar pass that he returned 49 yards for a touchdown to put the Spartans back in the lead 21-18. Dawtyne hurdled a Cougar defender that freed his way into the end zone for the score.
The ensuring AU drive, after the defense forced a CUC punt, the AU offense had a 76-yard drive that was capped off by a touchdown from Geron Rogers to Danny Logiurato from 20-yards out.
AU now led 28-18 midway through the fourth quarter.
Concordia Chicago answered with a score as 2:53 remained on the clock and after a successful two-point play, the score was AU 28-26.
The following kick-off was a mix between a pooch and on side kick attempt that saw AU's Brendan Fulton come down with the ball. The AU offense then ran out the clock behind a key run from Brian Bohr on fourth down and short.
The Spartans sent the capacity crowd home happy on Homecoming 2016 with a 28-26 victory.
 
SPARTAN STAT LEADERS
Rushing:
            Carries: Connor Olson (23) and Tyree Chaplin (9)
            Yards: Connor Olson (114) and Tyree Chaplin (65)
Passing: Geron Rogers (16-25 for 152 yards)
Receiving:
            Catches: Danny Logiurato (9) and Sean Mullen (3)
            Yards: Danny Logiurato (72) and Sean Mullen (24)
Touchdowns: Danny Logiurato (2), Tyree Chaplin and Kam Dawtyne (1)
Tackles: Kam Dawtyne (14) and Cody Patchett (5)
Sacks: Ray DiMatteo and Cole Sinn (1)
Interceptions: Kam Dawtyne (1)
 
UP NEXT
Next action for the Spartan football team comes on Saturday, October 15 when they travel to Alma College. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. EST in Alma, Michigan.