VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Presbyterian College football team's offensive production stalled in a Saturday setback against a rising Valparaiso opponent, falling to the Beacons by a 24-7 final margin on the road.
PC dealt with a 1
st-quarter injury to starting QB
Landon Sharpe that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the contest, scoring their only touchdown of the game inside the final minute of the opening half.
The Blue Hose ran 21 more plays than Valpo and were behind only 20 total yards by the time of game's end. A major factor in Saturday's decision was Presby's 2-of-14 conversion rate on 3
rd-down snaps.
There are now six different teams in the Pioneer Football League who have won three conference games with just under a month left in the season. PC is included in that mix, as they will return to Bailey Memorial Stadium for Halloween Homecoming against Butler next weekend.
FINAL SCORE: Valparaiso, 24 – Presbyterian, 7
RECORDS: Presbyterian (4-4, 3-2)…Valparaiso (4-4, 3-2)
LOCATION: Brown Field (Valparaiso, Ind.)
NOTABLES
- Sharpe tallied 62 yards of total offense before his unfortunate exit. Junior
Max Holtzclaw guided the offense for the last 50 minutes of gametime, rushing for 102 yards on 20 attempts and throwing for 116.
- Outside linebacker
Debo Hall paced the Blue Hose defensively with nine tackles and a forced fumble in the second half.
Noah Taylor also caused a fumble with a 2
nd-quarter sack, setting PC up for their best drive of the game shortly thereafter (14 plays, 91 yards, and a touchdown).
- Rookie
Tymaries Durant logged a nine-yard sack on Valparaiso's final drive of the game, confirming his sixth straight performance with at least one tackle-for-a-loss.
- Presbyterian's average distance on third down scenarios was eight yards. The results of their five second-half drives were two punts, an interception, and a couple of 4
th-down gambles that did not reach the line to gain.
HOW IT HAPPENED – FIRST HALF
- Valpo got into the PC backfield less than three minutes into the game for a crucial blocked punt, positioning them at the 15-yard line where they would score three plays later.
- The Blue Hose defense responded by not allowing any TD's over the rest of the 1
st, keeping the deficit at 7-0 for the time being. Valpo was forced to punt in their next two series.
- Holtzclaw's first full drive of the game bled into the 2
nd quarter but fizzled out with a punt near midfield. The Beacons connected on a 59-yard pass after getting possession back and would jump ahead 14-0 with 12 minutes until halftime.
- Now trailing by two scores, the Scotsmen pounded the ball for eight rushes on their next drive, but an incomplete pass on 4
th-down kept them off the scoreboard.
- It seemed that Valparaiso's lead would grow even more thanks to a 69-yard hookup that brought them near the goal line. However, that's when Taylor blindsided quarterback Rowan Keefe who lost the ball and
Jalyn Turner recovered.
- That ended up being a big momentum swing in PC's favor, as Holtzclaw marched his team nearly the full length of the field with four plays that generated 10 yards or more.
- The 91-yard touchdown drive was capped by Holtzclaw himself on a short option read, cutting the deficit down to seven points with 56 seconds on the first-half clock.
- Valpo was able to advance 59 yards in quick succession before the 2
nd quarter came to a close, but a missed field goal as time expired kept the tally at 14-7 going into the locker room.
HOW IT HAPPENED – SECOND HALF
- Neither side produced any points over the next 15 minutes, with the Blue Hose D ensuring the lead stayed slim. Hall jammed the ball loose near the halfway mark of the 3
rd to spoil an 11-yard gain, with
Gerald Danner recovering.
- Fast forward to the last series of the quarter and a 4
th-and-2 scenario for the Beacons at the PC 28. Presbyterian flushed Keefe out of the pocket, where he tossed an inaccurate throw for a turnover on downs.
- Another big shift in momentum happened with 34 seconds left until the 4
th, as Valparaiso blocked their second punt of the afternoon. They would eventually pass the pylon less than 90 seconds into the final frame to go ahead 21-7.
- PC's ensuing drive ate up four minutes but ended with a turnover on downs after penalties forced them to go for it on 4
th-and-37.
- Valpo finished the scoring with 5:37 left on a 48-yard field goal, giving the Beacons three PFL victories in their last four tries.
