Valpo Football Falls at Nationally-Ranked Presbyterian
The Valparaiso University football team dropped Saturday’s game to No. 25/22 Presbyterian 43-14 at Bailey Memorial Stadium in Clinton, S.C. Mark Johnson (Nashville, Tenn. / Lipscomb) had two defensive takeaways to provide a Beacon bright spot, while quarterback Rowan Keefe (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) passed for a career-high 224 yards.
How It Happened
- The Valpo defense battled on the opening drive of the game, but the Blue Hose went 68 yards on 11 plays in 5:37 to reach the end zone first. Darriel Harper scored from seven yards out on a reverse to make it 7-0 with 9:18 on the first-quarter clock.
- After the offense went three-and-out, the Valpo defense forced a three-and-out on the second PC drive.
- Quarterback Collin Hurst was on target through PC’s third drive, eventually finding Kibby for a 17-yard touchdown.
- The next Presbyterian drive went backward eight yards, with the Valpo defense doing a great job led by a sack from Isaiah Fowler (Gary, Ind. / Chesterton) and De’Andre Wilborn (Chicago, Ill. / Westinghouse).
- The Beacons moved the ball some on their next drive by recording the team’s first first down of the day, then a big punt from Nate Hillenburg (Indianapolis, Ind. / Cathedral [Cornell]) helped flip the field.
- With 3:26 left in the second quarter, Presbyterian settled for a 27-yard field goal after the Valpo defense did not break at the end of the possession. Wyatt Little (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Homestead), Micah Markley (West Chesterton, Ohio / Lakota West) and Anthony Feltrinelli (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) were all in the area of a stop for a loss of two on third-and-seven.
- The Beacons lost a fumble for their first turnover of the game, then the Blue Hose scored on a trick play with their QB Hurst on a receiving end of a 12-yard TD to make it 23-0 with 2:31 left in the opening half.
- The Blue Hose were in the redzone and had a chance for more points prior to half, but a huge defensive play by Mark Johnson (Nashville, Tenn. / Lipscomb) helped Valpo come up with a takeaway at the Valpo 15 as he stripped the ball and then landed on it, forcing and recovering the fumble, keeping the halftime deficit at 23.
- The Beacons started the second half with their longest offensive play of the day to that point, as Micah Mackay (Zionsville, Ind. / Lutheran) took off for a big run after the catch as part of a 49-yard reception to the PC 26.
- The opening drive of the second half ended with a missed field goal. The Blue Hose went 80 yards on a 14-play, 6:42 drive that ended with a great throw from Hurst despite being under heavy pressure, complete to Kibby for an 18-yard score to make it 30-0.
- Johnson picked up his second takeaway of the day for the Valpo defense with 2:30 left in the first half. He picked off a pass at the Valpo 19 and returned it 38 yards to the PC 43.
- That takeaway set up a Valpo touchdown drive that saw Keefe complete a pair of key passes, one to Ryan Ricketti (Rocky River, Ohio / Rocky River) and another to Jay Melchiori (Marengo, Ohio / Highland [Marietta]), the second of which went for a touchdown to make it 30-7.
- Presbyterian scored twice more to build up the lead to 43-7. Wilborn blocked a PAT after one of the Blue Hose touchdowns.
- Mackay took a handoff for his first carry and bulldozed into the endzone for a 2-yard touchdown to make it 43-14, which stood as the final. Keefe completed passes to a variety of receivers on that drive including a 17 yarder to Mackay. That drive went 82 yards on 13 plays in 7:13.
Inside the Game
- Mackay’s TD was not only his first career rushing score, but it was his first career rushing attempt period. It marked his third career touchdown overall, one receiving, one on a return and one rushing.
- Melchiori had his 10th career receiving TD and his first in a Valpo uniform.
- Melchiori and Ricketti had four grabs apiece, with Melchiori leading the team with 71 receiving yards.
- Redshirt senior Liam Shepherd (Valparaiso, Ind. / Valparaiso [Ball State]) entered the game as the placekicker and made a pair of PATs.
- Feltrinelli racked up 13 tackles, his second highest total of the season and highest since 14 vs. Adrian.
- Redshirt sophomore Connor Cervantes (Griffith, Ind. / Griffith) equaled a career high set against Adrian with seven tackles. Johnson, Nic Lendino (Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley) and Jason Salman (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Thomas Jefferson [Marietta]) chipped in six apiece.
- Johnson’s interception was the second of his career, both this season. His forced fumble and fumble recovery were both career firsts.
- Keefe went 17-of-26 through the air for a career-high 224 yards and a touchdown including a solid second half.
- The 224 passing yards marked the team’s single-season season high. Eight different players caught passes for the Beacons.
- Hillenburg’s 59-yard punt was a season long, eclipsing his previous best of 56. His career long of 62 came last season while playing for Cornell.
- Wilborn’s blocked kick was the first of his career and the team’s third of the season.
Up Next
Valpo (1-8, 0-5 PFL) will host San Diego next week at noon on Saturday.
