The Benedictine University football team stopped Aurora's conference win streak at 46 games, rallying in the fourth quarter after a weather delay to log a 36-35 win on the road in the conference opener.

Benedictine scored three touchdowns in the fourth to rally from down 35-17 and win. Aurora scored with 1:44 left in the third to open the 18-point edge. Benedictine responded with a quick strike when Jack Moses hit Santino Florio for a 59-yard score in the opening minute of the fourth. Jake Diamantos recorded an interception to set up the second score on a short field. Dino Stephens drew Benedictine within 35-30 by scoring from seven yards away at the 12:34 mark of the fourth. Aurora responded by driving down the field but missed a field goal before mother nature halted the game for over an hour. The stoppage did not slow the Benedictine offense, who marched 80 yards to record the winning score. Moses hit Alex Siebens with back-to-back passes including a go-ahead 25-yarder with 2:07 left. Aurora drove to mid field, but the Benedictine defense closed out the win. 

Aurora led 14-0 in the first quarter before Florio caught a pair of touchdowns in the second to tie the game headed into halftime. Aurora scored on their opening drive of the second half before Humberto Velazquez booted a 26-yard field goal. Aurora used a big play to lead 28-17 and stopped Benedictine on fourth down to stretch the lead to 35-17 before the fourth quarter heroics.

Benedictine piled up 462 yards including 322 through the air while holding the ball for over 38 minutes. Moses finished 26-of-37 with four touchdowns. Stephens posted his third consecutive 100-yard game, running for 112 on 21 carries. Siebens caught 11 passes for 119 yards and a score while Florio made three catches, all for touchdowns. Tristan Weglarz reeled in five passes for 80 yards.

Diamantos led the defense with nine tackles. Brian Pritt finished with eight tackles with two sacks.  

Benedictine (3-0, 1-0 NACC) visits Concordia Wisconsin next week. Read Full Article