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MEQUON, Wis. - The Benedictine University football team rolled past preseason NACC favorite Concordia Wisconsin with a 33-6 win on the road Saturday afternoon, picking off the 2013 NACC Offensive Player of the Year three times.
Louis Erkins helped to set up the first score of the day, intercepting Austin Damaschke deep on the Benedictine side of the field. The Eagles proceeded to march 75 yards down the field on eight plays to take the lead. A two-yard run from Artie Monaco handed Benedictine a 6-0 lead with 4:29 to play in the opening quarter. The score was helped by a 43-yard pass from Ryan Keener to Greg German.
Celebrating homecoming and senior day, the hosts rebounded to even the score with a pair of field goals, the last of which came with 3:38 remaining in the first half. Taking the ball with under 30 seconds to go in the half, Keener connected with Monaco on a 57-yard touchdown on the first play to take a 13-6 lead into the half. Concordia Wisconsin turned the ball over three times and missed a field goal in the half.
The second half belonged to Benedictine, outscoring the hosts 20-0 en route to the upset. Keener clicked on all cylinders during the first drive after the break, completing five passes to build on the lead. German reeled in a nine-yard strike with 12:07 left in the third to open a 20-6 lead. Rodney Nichols intercepted Damaschke on the ensuing possession and brought it back 54 yards to make the score 27-6 with 9:56 to play in the third.
Recovering a fumble on special teams late in the quarter, Benedictine struck for the final time. Keener found Omar Lopez for a five-yard score with just nine seconds left in the quarter. Jarrett Lecas sealed the win with the third interception of Damaschke late in the fourth. The pick was actually the second of a lengthy drive, but a penalty wiped out the first.
Benedictine totaled over 400 yards in the win, creating a balance with 151 on the ground and 257 through the air. Monaco ran 20 times with Keener adding 11 carries for a team high 52 yards. Keener completed 17 passes to six different receivers for 257 yards with three touchdowns. Lopez made six catches with German adding five for 118 and a touchdown.
The defense forced six turnovers and tallied three sacks in frustrating the top offense in the conference. Concordia Wisconsin reached the redzone six times, but converted just the two field goals. The contest marked the first gam that the hosts were held without a touchdown since September 17, 2011. Micayel McKechnie led the Benedictine defense with 10 tackles and recovered a pair of fumbles. Niko Paaloalo posted a pair of sacks.
The victory creates a cluster of the top of the NACC standings with two weeks remaining and halted a 13-game NACC win streak for Concordia Wisconsin. Lakeland now sits alone atop the conference at 4-0 while Benedictine, Concordia Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Lutheran are tied at 3-1. Concordia Wisconsin has yet to play Lakeland or Wisconsin Lutheran, while Benedictine ends the regular season with a home contest against Lakeland.
Benedictine (4-4, 3-1) hosts Rockford next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.