ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University football team dropped a wild game 35-28 on Saturday afternoon at Eureka College to begin NACC play. The Regents fell behind 21-0 late in the first half, but proceeded to score the next 28 points to take a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter. The Regents' final touchdown of the game came on field goal that was blocked and returned 93 yards for a touchdown by
Napoleon Williams to give the Regents their first lead of the day at 28-21. Unfortunately, the Red Devils scored 14 points over the final 5:30 to secure the 35-28 victory.
- The first score of the game came late in the opening quarter following a Regent three-and-out. The Red Devils went 82 yards on 5 plays, including a 28-yard touchdown pass from Kaeden Fraizer to Jack Butler to take a 7-0 lead.
- Eureka then capitalized on a pair of Rockford miscues, a blocked field goal and an interception, to score its next two touchdowns.
- The Red Devils promptly chewed up 6:26 off the clock and went 80 yards on 14 plays to extend their lead to 14-0. Eureka's touchdown came on a 1-yard run by Ben Bernabei.
- Following an RU interception on the goal line, the Red Devils needed just 7 plays to cover 72 yards and score their third touchdown of the half. Ben Bernabei scampered 28 yards into the end zone to put his team out in front 21-0 with 1:33 left in the second quarter.
- Fortunately, the Regents were finally able to get something going offensively on their final drive of the first half. Quarterback Jaelen Ray led the Regents down the field 72 yards, including converting on a fourth and four in the red zone, for Rockford's first score of the game. He went 5-of-7 for 71 yards on the drive, including a 2-yard touchdown pass to Noah Jankelovitz, to send the game into the half with Eureka leading 21-7.
- The Regents would then capitalize on a Reginald Jones Jr. interception midway through the third quarter to score their second touchdown of the game.
- Rockford proceeded to march the ball 85 yards on 10 plays, capped off by a 7-yard touchdown run by Jack Carey. Kaden Finnestad tacked on the point after to cut the Eureka lead down to 21-14.
- The Regents then tied the game on their first possession of the fourth quarter. On a third and four from their own 26-yard line, Jaelen Ray found Da'Quan McIntosh for a 74-yard touchdown strike to tie the game at 21-21.
- It looked as though the Red Devils would respond with points of their own, as they drove the ball deep into Rockford territory on their ensuing possession. However, Napoleon Williams blocked a field goal attempt, scooped up the ball and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown to give Rockford its first lead of the game at 28-21.
- Unfortunately, Eureka proceeded to score touchdowns on two of its next three possessions, including the final one coming with 41 seconds remaining, to retake the lead at 35-28.
- Rockford was able to drive the ball all the way down to the Eureka 15-yard line, but unfortunately, ran out of time and fell by a final score of 35-28.
- Jaelen Ray went 37-of-58 for 470 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- Jack Carey ran the ball 19 times for 65 yards and a touchdown.
- Da'Quan McIntosh caught 8 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown.
- Joey Alvarez had a team-high 8 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
- Reginald Jones Jr. tallied 7 tackles and an interception. He currently leads the NACC with 3 interceptions this season.
- Napoleon Williams had 4 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and blocked a field goal that he then returned for a touchdown.
