LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University football team posted one of its most impressive performances in recent memory on Saturday night, stunning the Southeastern University Fire, 34-10, at Victory Field in Lakeland. The win was Ave Maria's first ever victory on the Southeastern University campus, and marked AMU's second largest margin of victory in a conference or divisional game in program history.
Head coach Joe Patterson said Ave Maria's gauntlet of a non-conference schedule was geared towards a performance like the one shown Saturday night.
"Conference play always signals a new beginning," Patterson said. "I think our non-conference schedule prepared us well."
Ave Maria scored the first points of the contest late in the first quarter. A 12-play drive that included conversions on third-and-7 and fourth-and-1 ended in a 31-yard field goal from Brendan Clark. Southeastern answered in the second quarter with their only touchdown of the day, an eight yard pass from Cooper Jones to Jared Romaelle.Â
On the ensuing Ave Maria drive, the Gyrenes took the lead for good. After a conversion on third down and 15, Will Tate found Joshua Jenkins for a 54-yard touchdown strike, giving Ave Maria a 10-7 lead. Clark would add another field goal late in the second quarter, sending the Gyrenes into the halftime break up 13-7.
The third quarter saw the Gyrenes completely take control of the game, as Patterson remarked the Gyrenes came out of the break with "great energy and great confidence." The teams traded three-and-outs, and Ave Maria drove deep into SEU territory on their second drive. AMU faced a fourth-and-one on the SEU nine, converted, then scored on the next play with a five yard touchdown run from Charles Philias.
The fun was far from over for Ave Maria, who forced yet another three-and-out to get the ball back. In five plays, the biggest of which was a 48-yard pass from Tate to Jenkins, the Gyrenes were back in the endzone, thanks to a 10-yard run from Tate. That led to a back-breaking series, as Southeastern's next play from scrimmage saw Dominic Morgan intercept a Jones pass. Tate then found Jenkins from 26 yards out two plays later, and the Ave Maria lead was an unsurmountable 34-7. SEU would get a fourth quarter field goal, but would get no closer.
In the second half, Ave Maria's defense forced Southeastern to a three-and-out or a turnover in five of their seven drives, while the Gyrenes scored a touchdown on three of their first four drives in the third quarter.
Patterson said the defensive unit for the Gyrenes was deserving of commendation for consistently getting AMU off the field.
"Our defense attacked throughout the game," Patterson said, "coming up big repeatedly on third down and consistently applying pressure."
Offensively, Tate was stellar with 268 passing yards and two scores, completing more than 50 percent of his passes. Joshua Jenkins was explosive on the edge for the Gyrenes, hauling in six receptions for 158 yards and both passing touchdowns. Jenkins' effort marked the second-highest single game receiving total in AMU history. Morgan proved to be a defensive leader for the Gyrenes, logging six tackles with an assisted tackle for loss and the interception.
Ave Maria now sits 1-0 in Sun Division play, and will play their first divisional home game next Saturday against the Warriors of Webber International University. Kickoff for Ave Maria's homecoming game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
