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Richmond Register, Ky.
UAC FOOTBALL: Non-scholarship Flyers beat Colonels in Roy Kidd Stadium
- Story byRichmond Register, Ky.
- UAC FOOTBALL: Non-scholarship Flyers beat Colonels in Roy Kidd Stadium
A series of miscues, mistakes and missed opportunities led to one of the worst losses in the proud and storied history of the EKU football program.
The Colonels (1-3) had 128 yards in penalties and missed three field goal attempts — including one in the final seconds — on the way to a 17-14 loss to Dayton (3-0) on Saturday at Roy Kidd Stadium.
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The Flyers — a non-conference Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program which plays in the Pioneer League and was paid $125,000 to play the game — jumped out to a 14-0 advantage and never trailed.
"You can't have 11 penalties and two turnovers and expect to beat anyone," EKU coach Walt Wells said. "We overcame some of them, but it's just undisciplined."
Senior quarterback Jordyn Potts made his first start of the season, completing 23-of-36 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown while adding 40 yards on the ground.
Junior running back Brady Hensley led the rushing attack with 93 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Senior tight end Caeleb Schlachter caught four passes for 65 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
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The Colonels out-gained the Flyers, 426-302, and finished with 23 first downs. EKU had 278 yards passing, but converted on just one of three red zone opportunities.
"Offensively, it took forever to get going. I thought our defense played well in the first half," Wells said.
Dayton took a 7-0 lead into halftime after Michael Mussari caught a 4-yard TD pass from Bryce Schondelmyer with one second left before the break.
Luke Hansen scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter to put the Flyers up 14-0.
The Colonels answered with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that carried into the fourth quarter. Hensley finished the possession with a two-yard touchdown run on the opening play of the final period.
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Dayton responded with a 23-yard field goal before the Colonels struck again. Potts connected with Schlachter for a 54-yard touchdown with 8:18 remaining, pulling EKU within three.
The EKU defense forced Dayton to turn the ball over on downs on each of its final two possessions.
After taking possession at their own 25-yard line with 1:47 remaining, the Colonels drove 70 yards to the Dayton 5-yard line. A potential game-tying 22-yard field goal attempt missed as time expired.
Buzz Flabiano missed all three of his field goal attempts — 22, 32 and 41.
"We still had a chance in the end to get to overtime and it's disappointing that we didn't do that," Wells said.
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The Colonels are off next week and are set to return to action Oct. 3 at Roy Kidd Stadium against UAC rival North Alabama.
"We've got to stay together," Wells said. "The noise is going to be loud, on the outside — which is fine. We deserve it. I deserve it. Put it all on me. But, we've got to come together and work this week to get better and develop a plan of what we can do and hopefully get some of these injured guys back."
