ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University football team picked up its first win of the season on Saturday with an impressive 34-6 road victory over the Maranatha Baptist University Sabercats. The Regents dominated the game taking a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and a 34-0 lead heading into halftime. Defensively, Rockford held Maranatha to just 12 yards of offense and 2 first downs in the first half. Although the Regents did not score in the second half, Rockford cruised to an easy 34-6 victory. For the game Rockford outgained Maranatha 327-103 including holding the Sabercats to -7 yards rushing.
Rockford wasted little time finding the end zone as the Regents scored less than 5 minutes into the game. Sophomore running back Chance Manning (Durand, Ill.) got the bulk of the workload on the drive, carrying the ball 5 times and accounting for 34 of the team's 44 total yards. Senior quarterback Andrew Perez (West Corina, Calif.) capped off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Mar Sean Vercher (Chicago, Ill.).
Following a 3-and-out from the Sabercats, the Regents used three plays to pick up 55 yards and score their second touchdown of the quarter. On a first and ten play from the 35-yard line, Perez looked deep down the middle of the field and connected with wide receiver Joe Breeden (Burlington, Ill.) to make it a 14-0 Rockford lead.
The Regents extended their lead to 21-0 on the next possession after the defense forced its second straight 3-and-out. It took the Regents just 5 plays to cover 39 yards and find the end zone for the third time in the quarter. Manning was once again the workhorse as he carried the ball three times for 20 yards including an 8-yard touchdown run.
The game remained 21-0 until the second quarter when Rockford capitalized on a Maranatha special teams miscue. The Sabercats gave the Regents a very short field when they snapped the ball over the punter's head allowing Rockford to start its drive with a first and goal at the Maranatha 10-yard line. After a trio of unsuccessful attempts to score and with the Regents facing a fourth and goal from the 2-yard line, Perez found Vercher in the left corner of the end zone as Rockford extended its lead to 27-0.
Rockford's final score of the day came late in the second quarter as the Regents were again given great field position courtesy of their defense. This time it was senior Dominique Campbell (Waterloo, Iowa) who intercepted a pass and returned it to the Rockford 46-yard line to set up a short field for the offense. It took Rockford just 5 plays to score its fifth touchdown of the half and take a 34-0 lead. The drive was capped off with Perez's fourth touchdown pass of the half, this one covering 9 yards to Vercher for his third score of the half. The Regents maintained a comfortable lead for the remainder of the game as they cruised to a 34-7 win.
Offensively Rockford used an extremely balanced attack on Saturday. The Regents racked up 327 yards of total offense with 163 coming through the air and 164 on the ground. Manning was the leading rusher carrying the ball 23 times for 110 yards and 1 touchdown. Quarterback Andrew Perez completed 10-of-18 pass attempts for 127 yards and tied the RU single-game passing touchdowns record with four. Wide receiver Mar Sean Vercher caught 4 passes for 24 yards and tied the RU single-game receiving touchdowns record with three. Joe Breeden was the leading receiver for Rockford with 5 receptions for 102 yards and 1 touchdown.
Defensively it was a complete team effort as Rockford held Maranatha to 103 yards of total offense including -7 yards rushing. The Regents also did an excellent job of getting themselves off the field as they held the Crusaders to just 3-of-17 on third down conversions. Senior Michael Watson (Schaumburg, Ill.) led the Regents with a team-high 8 tackles including 1 tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Fellow senior Dominique Campbell also played well recording 7 tackles with a tackle for loss and one interception. Defensive Lineman Jared Johnson (Miami, Fla.) tallied a career-high 7 tackles with 1.5 sacks. Freshman Chris Ballerini (Spring Valley, Ill.) recorded his first two collegiate sacks, while Cornielius Downes (Detroit, Mich.) intercepted his first pass as a Regent.
The RU football team returns home next Saturday, September 17 to host Kalamazoo College. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM at Sam Greeley Field.
