The Benedictine University football team remained unbeaten on the season by scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to upend a gritty St. Norbert squad 29-20.
Dino Stephens scored on the first play from scrimmage in the contest, rattling off a 68-yard run to put Benedictine ahead 6-0 in the opening 30 seconds of the game.
John Thompson intercepted a pass deep on the St. Norbert side of the field to help push the lead to 9-0 when
Carter Velez kicked a 30-yard field goal with 6:18 left in the first quarter.Â
The visitors used a long drive to draw within 9-7 early in the second quarter and missed a field goal that would have put the team ahead following an interception midway through the quarter. Benedictine countered the missed field goal with a quick drive that spanned 80 yards to further the lead to 16-7.
Tristan Weglarz broke away for a 46-yard touchdown with 5:31 left in the half. A pair of field goals drew St. Norbert to within 16-13 at halftime.
Benedictine recorded a pair of interceptions in the third as
Vince Irion and
Azaan Tabari picked off passes. Velez knocked home his second field goal of the game to make the score 19-13 when he booted a 23-yarder with 2:38 remaining in the third. St. Norbert drove down to take their lone lead of the game early in the fourth at 20-19 after a two-yard touchdown with 12:31 left. Velez produced his third field goal of the game on the ensuing drive to put Benedictine ahead at 22-20 with a 22-yarder at the 7:36 mark. St. Norbert fumbled deep in their own territory late to set up Benedictine with a solid field position to put the game away. Jason Moore snared a 17-yard touchdown with 3:22 remaining to account for the final. Benedictine forced one more turnover on a strip-sack by Walter Szweistis to seal the win. St. Norbert turned the ball over six times in the game.
Benedictine finished with 367 yards in the game including 152 on the ground. Stephens, the top rusher in the conference and one of the best in the nation, gained 124 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown.
Marcus Martin threw for 215 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Weglarz caught six passes for 120 yards. RJ Hatter paced the defense with 14 tackles including 2.5 for loss with a sack and a fumble recovery. Thompson recorded 10 stops.Â
Benedictine (6-0, 4-0 NACC) visits Concordia Chicago next week.
