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Football

Eagles Run Their Way to Victory

            The Benedictine University football team capitalized on four Spartan turnovers en route to an impressive 28-21 victory over Northern Athletics Conference rival, Aurora University, Saturday afternoon at Vago Field in Aurora.
            The Eagles wasted no time, striking first on a three-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back, John Borsellino. However, Aurora responded on their next two drives, to take a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
            While the first quarter displayed a heavy dose of offense, the second quarter belonged to both defenses. This was until junior Matt McWilliams recovered a Spartan fumble, opening the door for another Borsellino touchdown – this time, an eight-yard scamper to tie the game at 14 apiece heading into halftime. 


            BenU's defense came out strong in the second half, intercepting Spartans' quarterback Jimmy Bevell twice in as many possessions, the first by senior Tim Shanahan and the second by McWilliams.
            The Eagles' offense took advantage of the McWilliams interception, putting together a 62-yard drive capped off by an Eric Ritter 22-yard touchdown run, giving BenU a 21-14 lead late in the third quarter.
            After driving all the way down to the Eagles' six-yard line, Aurora looked poised to tie the game once again. However, senior Mike Hatfield recovered his own forced fumble to stymie the Spartan offense.
            For the third time in the game, the Eagles would find the end zone following a Spartan turnover. Chewing up ten minutes and 95 yards, BenU took a 28-14 lead on Borsellino's third rushing touchdown with under three minutes left on the clock.



            Aurora struck quickly on a one-yard touchdown run from Spencer Adams, cutting the Eagles' lead to seven with just over a minute remaining in the game.
            The Spartans hoped to recover their onside kick, but it fell into the hands of McWilliams to secure the 28-81 victory.
            BenU's offense ran for 213 yards on the day, led by Borsellino who had 142 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Senior quarterback Preston Earl was 14-for-23 with 149 yards passing. Senior wide receiver Brandin Austin had seven catches for 72 yards to lead the Eagles' receiving corps. On the defensive end, BenU was sparked by the play of Hatfield, who provided a game-high 19 tackles. 


            
            Not only did Saturday's win improve the Eagles' record to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the NAC, but it also marked the first time in 22 years that Benedictine has defeated the Spartans at Aurora.  
           
            The Eagles' will continue conference play Oct. 16, hosting Concordia University (Wis.) in a 1 p.m. showdown at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex.
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