Box Score
Benedictine University's football team may have lost a football game to visiting Elmhurst College on Saturday evening but, in the process, found themselves a new offensive weapon. Despite falling to the Bluejays (1-0), 24-14, the Eagles (0-1) received a standout performance from reserve tailback Derek Hitt.
Hitt, a sophomore who was the Benedictine starting quarterback for the vast majority of 2008 and moved to a runningback spot in 2009, was pressed into a prominent role in the season-opener after starting tailback Ryan Schwartz was injured in the second quarter.
Hitt responded by carrying a workhorse-like 25 times for 130 yards and a touchdown. Hitt also had two catches for 33 yards.
As a team, the Eagles actually out-rushed the 'Jays by a 149-127 yard count. The passing yards were a slight advantage to Elmhurst, 126 to 123 yards, with the Eagles holding the edge in total offense (272 yards to 253 yards).
BU quarterback Dave Klinger completed 10 of 20 passes and was intercepted once. Among his tosses was a 21-yard aerial touchdown to Mike Trombetta late in the game to make it help make it the 24-14 final.
Elmhurst built a 10-0 first quarter cushion thanks to an 11-yard touchdown scamper by signal-caller Phil Pedl to cap a six-play, 28 yard scoring drive at the 6:04 mark of the opening stanza. A 31-yard field goal by Tyler Lomnicki with 1:25 left in the period made it 10-0.
Hitt's TD jaunt at the 6:02 mark of period number two finalized a grueling 12-play, 51 yard series and cut it to 10-7. However, the Bluejays answered right back with an eight-play, 65 yard march of their own to haul a 17-7 lead into the halftime locker room.
Midway through the third quarter, EC again found the endzone to push the Benedictine deficit to 24-7. Trombetta's scoring pass from Klinger would be the Eagles' only other tally of the night, 24-14.
Defensively, Elmhurst was paced by Kurt Nitschke's nine tackles (six solo). Matt Streit added eight stops (also six solo tackles), while Brandon Jones had six tackles and the lone interception of the game.
For the Benedictine team, defensive back Mike Hatfield booked eight tackles and linebacker Devin Montgomery had seven tackles. Freshman Travis Martin had 1 ½ sacks in his college debut.
