AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University football team welcomed their home fans to Gyrene Field for the first time this season Saturday night, and the home crowd left happy following a 50-6 Ave Maria win over the visiting Eagles from the University of Fort Lauderdale. The Gyrenes rolled in their first home game of the season, scoring seven touchdowns in just less than two and a half quarters.

Head coach Joe Patterson said the comfortable victory allowed numerous Gyrenes to shine in front of the home crowd.

"It was great to see so many players contribute," Patterson said. "It's nice to see them rewarded for the tremendous work they put into our practices to make our team the best it can be."

It didn't take long for the Gyrenes to begin pulling away from Fort Lauderdale. AMU scored three touchdowns in the first 20 minutes of the contest, opening up a 20-0 lead. Each of the first three touchdowns were scored by Bryan Stiemke, with two coming on the ground and another coming from the arm of quarterback Drew Lege. 

AMU added a fourth touchdown midway through the second quarter, when Lege found Joshua Jenkins for a 24-yard touchdown pass. After Fort Lauderdale's lone score of the night, the Gyrenes upped their halftime lead to 30-6 when Dayllon De Paula connected on a field goal from 26 yards out.

Less than eight minutes into the second half, Ave Maria had already added another 20 points, with younger players doing much of the scoring. Donald Chester scored from a yard out on AMU's first drive, while John Giampietro hauled in an 18-yard pass from DJ Van Horn for the second.

Ave Maria's final score of the night came on special teams. Following the Giampietro touchdown, AMU forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and Khire Butler scooped it up and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown.

After a record rushing day against Texas Lutheran, the Gyrenes continued to run it well, averaging nearly seven yards per carry. Donald Chester was AMU's top rusher with 70 yards, while Bryan Stiemke followed with 64. Lege accounted for 141 yards through the air, with Joshua Jenkins leading all receivers with 55 yards.

Ave Maria's tackles were spread across dozens of players, with three players leading the charge with four tackles apiece. Dray'sun Bonney was a force with two sacks and three tackles for loss, while Julian Fletcher made an impact with his first career interception.

Patterson said following the contest that AMU's tilts with Lawrence Tech, Texas Lutheran, and Fort Lauderdale are done with one goal in mind.

"These first three games are designed to prep us for conference play," Patterson remarked, "and I think they did."

Sun Conference play begins next Saturday for the Gyrenes, when the Lions of Florida Memorial University come to town. It will be a White Out at Gyrene Field, and AMU Athletics will celebrate Ave Maria Parish Night. Opening kickoff from Ave Maria is again scheduled for 7:00 p.m.