Statesmen Take Down Bobcats in 21-7 Victory
Oskaloosa, Iowa– Statesmen defense stood tall as they defeat Peru State 21-7 in a Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division matchup Saturday.
WPU (7-3, 3-2 Heart North out gained the Bobcats (3-6, 3-3) 413-283. The Statesmen did most of their damage on the ground as they racked up 244 rushing yards to go with 169 yards through the air.
After the Statesmen defense forced a quick punt, Anthony Carey Jr. (Fr., Lauderhill, Fla.) and the WPU rushing attack wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Carey broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run to give William Penn an early 7-0 lead just under two minutes into the contest.
WPU found the endzone for the second time just five minutes later, this time Emery Floyd (Grad., Tampa, Fla.) connected with Shane Helmick (Jr., Moravia, Iowa) for a 26-yard touchdown pass. Floyd served as captain of the offense as he finished 13-for-20 for 169 yards and two touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback also led all players in rushing, finishing with 94 yards on the ground.
The Bobcats clawed back into the contest when they responded with a touchdown pass of their own, 14-7. On the ensuing possession, the navy and gold found success through the air once again, as Floyd connected with Kendrick Canon for an 18-yard touchdown. The scoring strike capped a 67-yard, 11-play drive for the Statesmen.
Both defenses stepped up in the second half as neither team was able to add to the score column. Tierre Butler (Sr., Springfield, Ill.) extinguished any hope of a Bobcat comeback when he forced a fourth down fumble which was scooped up Omari Campbell (Sr., Pompano Beach, Fla., Sports Management) and returned 39 yards to the WPU 48.
The staunch WPU defense was anchored by Jerome Schaubert (Sr., Spring, Texas, Biology) who finished with 12 tackles, the senior was tailed closely by Michael Johnson III (So., Dallas, Texas) and Butler who both tallied six tackles of their own.
WPU utilized several rushers, but the duo of Carey Jr (8 carries, 40 yards) and Derion Morris (Fr., East Chicago, Ind.) (12 carries, 57 yards) took the bulk of the load.
“I’m proud of how our guys responded after last week’s tough loss and found a way to get back in the win column.” Head Coach Marc Benavidez said. “We’ll build on this win and get ready to finish the regular season strong!”
Up Next: WPU remains home next Saturday as they close out the regular-season schedule against St. Ambrose in Heart North Division play, with kickoff set for 12 p.m.
