(Grayson, KY) – The Thomas More University football team earned their first victory of the 2022 season Saturday afternoon in a thrilling game at Kentucky Christian University, 31-28. The Saints will be back in action next Saturday when they head to Pittsburgh, PA to take on Duquesne University.
How It Happened
The Saints got on the scoreboard first, on their first possession of the game. Starting on their own 45, they grinded out a 10-play drive to the Knights three-yard line, where
Maleek Jarrett ran it in for a 7-0 lead.
Kentucky Christian would proceed for 14 unanswered points before a
Brooks Curran field goal made it 14-10. However, the Knights would take advantage of a pair of Saints turnovers late in the second quarter and score twice more to take a 28-10 lead into the halftime break.
A
Blaine Espinosa 17-yard touchdown pass to
Roques Dowdy with 7:30 left in the third quarter made it 28-17 and got Thomas More right back into the game. This score held up heading into the fourth quarter before an hour-and-a-half-long weather delay halted the contest.
After the delay, the Saints came out rolling. Espinosa found Dowdy twice more in the end zone on 28 and nine-yard passes. Thomas More had a failed two-point conversion on the first touchdown but was successful on the second touchdown and grabbed a crucial three-point lead at 31-28 with just over a minute to play.
The Knights had one final opportunity to go down the field and either win it or tie it and send it into overtime. Starting at their own 15, Tyler Haas and Kentucky Christian got the ball to their own 45 before a huge 34-yard pass to Davonte Williams got them to the Saints 21-yard line. Thomas More held strong, however, forcing an incomplete pass on the following play and winning the game 31-28.
Notables
- This is Chris Norwell's first win as head coach of the Saints.
- Roques Dowdy scored three touchdowns and had 91 yards receiving, he is the first Saint since Da'marco Canty on Nov. 2, 2019, at Bethel (TN) to have three receiving touchdowns in a game.
- Espinosa was 25-38 for 241 yards and three touchdowns.
- Jarrett ran for 74 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown.
- Del Thomas made 11 tackles (two solo, nine assisted).
- Antonio Davis had his first collegiate interception.
- Colton Sandhas snatched his third interception of the season.
What's Up Next
As mentioned, the Saints hit the road to play NCAA Division I FCS opponent Duquesne University next Saturday at Noon before beginning Mid-South Conference play the following week at Campbellsville University.
