AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University football team had no answer for a national championship contender Saturday night at Gyrene Field, falling 54-7 to the sixth-ranked team in the nation, the Keiser University Seahawks. The Seahawks scored on all but one full possession Saturday night, racking up over 500 yards of total offense to remain unbeaten in Sun Conference play.

Prior to the contest, Ave Maria honored its senior class, who were playing their final game at Gyrene Field - the Gyrenes' final two games of the season will be on the road against Warner and Southeastern.

Keiser scored on four drives in the first 20 minutes of the contest, racing out to a 24-0 lead. The Seahawks' first touchdown was of the explosive variety, as Wendol Philord returned a punt 69 yards to give Keiser a 10-0 lead. Running back Jaden Meizinger added two touchdowns of his own, widening Keiser's lead to 24 points with 12:13 to play in the first half. 

The brightest spot of the night for the Gyrenes, as has been the case for much of the season, was junior tailback Bryan Stiemke. The Maryland native ran the ball 23 times for 145 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown run that accounted for Ave Maria's points on the night. 

With the effort, the junior became the first player in program history to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Stiemke now has 1,112 yards with two games remaining, giving him a legitimate chance to reach 1,500 yards. 

Keiser continued to add to their lead as the night went on, scoring ten more points before halftime to hold a 34-7 lead at the break. Keiser scored 20 points in the second half, scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter and adding another to conclude the scoring in the fourth. 

In his first collegiate start, Logan Howard completed nine passes to six different receivers, including a game-long reception of 37 yards to Joseph Klucik. Howard also added 21 rushing yards for the Gyrenes. Roman Newkirk returned to the field for AMU, logging 87 all-purpose yards.

Willie Jackson was a defensive standout for the Gyrenes, logging ten total tackles with two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Conor Jewel also played well, leading the team with four solo tackles and adding a half tackle for loss. Punter Simon Garrett also made a name for himself, bombing a 52-yard punt in his first attempt of the contest.

Ave Maria can still finish above .500 for the season if the Gyrenes can complete a sweep of The Sun Conference's Polk County schools. After beating Webber earlier this season, AMU will try for a second Crooked Lake win next Saturday in Lake Wales against the Royals of Warner University. The Gyrenes will play the Royals on the Warner campus for the first time ever, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m.