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MILWAUKEE, WI - Quarterback Ryan Sample directed a fourth quarter game-winning drive for the third time this season as the Benedictine University football rallied to break a two-game slide with a 23-19 victory at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Luke Ludolph scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:38 remaining, capping a 90-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run. Ludolph caught three passes on the drive and accounted for two of the three touchdowns on the afternoon. JaVon McBride also caught a pair of long passes as part of the winning drive.
Both teams drove deep in the first quarter but could not score. Benedictine failed to convert on fourth down deep in Wisconsin Lutheran territory on the first two possessions while the hosts also squandered a deep march.
Big plays helped Benedictine strike first early in the second quarter. Paul Gray reeled in a 20-yard pass prior to a 53-yard reception from Ludolph, who has become a big piece of the offense. Ludolph caught a two-point conversion to make the score 8-0 with 11:28 to play in the first half.
Wisconsin Lutheran returned an interception for a touchdown to answer and converted again after Benedictine turned the ball over on downs. The Warriors scored the final 19 points of the second quarter and led 19-8 at halftime.
The Benedictine defense shut down Wisconsin Lutheran the remainder of the game, but the offense stalled entering the fourth quarter. Jonathan Roberts capped a 10-play, 82-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown grab. Ludolph rushed in on the two-point conversion, bringing Benedictine within 19-16. Jesse Kilbourn snared a 35-yard pass as part of the drive.
The defense forced a pair of fourth quarter turnovers on interceptions from Maison Bittner and Jarrett Lecas. The Lecas pick came in the endzone on fourth as Wisconsin Lutheran was driving to potentially put the game away. Benedictine took over posession with 3:21 remaining following the pick, and drove for the winning score. Wisconsin Lutheran moved the ball to the Benedictine 18 in the closing moments, but a sack from Danny Drummond ended the game.
Sample logged his third 400+ yard passing performance of the season, completing 38 passes on a career high 61 attempts for 447 yards. The 61 attempts are a single game school record. With two touchdowns, Sample matched the single season school record with 25. Sample has now thrown for 2,808 yards this season, breaking the single season mark of 2,770 set by Ed Smith in 1992. The junior also broke Smith's record for single season completions.
McBride caught nine passes for 78 yards. Ludolph finished with eight catches for a career high 149 yards and has posted over 140 yards receiving in the past two contests. Elijah Walker also grabbed eight passes for 74 yards. Gray finished with seven receptions.
Scottie Bobeck paced the defense with 12 stops. Bittner added 10 with Lecas and Drummond notching nine each. Benedictine tallied four sacks, including two from Drummond, who posted 3.5 tackles for loss.
Benedictine (5-3, 3-1) is still in the race for the conference championship with two weeks remaining and hosts Concordia Chicago in the final home game of the season next week.