GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 19 Keiser 42, Warner 23
Records: No. 19 Keiser University (5-0, 2-0), Warner (1-4, 0-1)
Location:  Vikings Stadium, Lakeland, Fla.
Time of Game: 1:30 PM
Weather: 84 degrees, Partly Cloudy  

After trailing 23-14 at the halftime break, the No. 19 Keiser football team scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to remain unbeaten on the year as they defeated Warner University 42-23 on Saturday afternoon at Vikings Stadium in Lakeland, Fla.
 
The turning point of the contest came on the opening drive of the second half when the Seahawks were forced into an apparent three-and-out, but an illegal substitution penalty on fourth down by the Royals gave Keiser a fresh set of downs. Keiser then cashed in on the penalty as Marques Burgess broke free for a 53-yard touchdown run to cut the Royals lead to 23-21.
 
Burgess and Asfunso Elam led the Seahawks offensive attack with a combined 308 yards on the ground. For the second straight week, Burgess topped the century mark with 176 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns. Elam totaled 132 yards on the ground on 22 carries. Both tallies were career-highs for the backs.
 
Eli Mathews completed 11-of-18 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Caleb Walls led the receiver group with 65 yards on two catches, both going for touchdowns.
 
Defensively, the Seahawks forced five turnovers on the afternoon with one of them being a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown by Dylan Inman. Victor Alvarez Jr. led the defensive pursuit, racking up eight tackles, one and a half tackles for loss, one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Sophomore, Marc Laurore followed with seven tackles, a half tackle for loss and a half sack.
 
First Quarter Highlights
Keiser 7, Warner 3

• Keiser won the toss and deferred to the second half, sending the Seahawks defense to work first.
• The defense answered the bell as DeAndre Henderson intercepted Dylan Blair's pass at the Keiser 34-yard line.
• However, the offense was unable to capitalize on the turnover as Mathews was sacked on third down, forcing a punt.
• After a three-and-out by the Royals led to a punt, one of the nation's best punt returners went to work for the Seahawks. Sage Chen-Young returned the Royals' punt 43 yards before being tripped up at Warner's 10-yard line.
• Mathews and the Seahawks found the end zone on the next play as the sophomore quarterback found Walls for the 10-yard score to put Keiser up 7-0 with 9:38 left in the first.
• Warner answered on the following drive as Santiago Tovar made a 32-yard field goal, trimming the Keiser lead to 7-3 with 3:30 remaining in the first quarter. The kick capped off a 12-play 51-yard drive.
• On the next possession for the Seahawks, Elam used rushes of 18-yards and 25-yards to move the Keiser offense into Royals territory as the first quarter came to a close.

 
Second Quarter Highlights
Keiser 14, Warner 23

• The second quarter started off on the wrong foot for the Seahawks as Mathews threw his first interception of the 2019 campaign. Warner's return put them at their own 46-yard line.
• It did not take long for the Royals to capitalize as Blair found Keon Brown for a 48-yard touchdown. However, Chen-Young blocked the extra-point as Warner claimed their first lead of the night, 9-7, with 13:49 remaining in the second  quarter. Warner's touchdown finished off a three play 54-yard drive.
• Keiser had no answer on their ensuing possession as an incomplete pass on fourth down turned the ball over on downs.
• Warner went right back to the air as Blair hooked up with Jeffrey Jennings III for a 44-yard score. The catch wrapped up a five play 58-yard drive, extending the Royals advantage to 16-7 with 7:52 to go in the half.
• Keiser trimmed the deficit to the 16-14 as Mathews scampered for a 12-yard touchdown, capping off an eight play, 59-yard drive with 4:05 remaining in the half. Elam played a big role on the drive as he had a 28-yard run to put Keiser inside the red zone.
• Warner would not cave in though as the Royals drove 81 yards in 11 plays to extend the lead to 23-14 on a three-yard Blair touchdown pass to Andre Tommie with 49 seconds to go before the half.

 
Third Quarter Highlights
Keiser 35, Warner 23

• Keiser opened the third with the football, and after a costly illegal substitution penalty by the Royals on fourth down gave the Seahawks new life, they answered. Burgess ripped off a 53-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 23-21 with 12:44 remaining in the half. The score concluded a six play 72-yard drive.
• On the next possession, the Keiser defense forced their second turnover of the contest as Maurice Murphy Jr. stripped the ball from running back, Javon Wilson and came away with the recovery at the Keiser 46-yard line.
• Keiser didn't need long to find the end zone as Burgess took it 54-yards to the house on the first play of the drive, putting the Seahawks back on top, 28-23, with 10:33 left in the third.
• Following two personal foul penalties on the Royals, kicker, Lucas Matias kicked off from the Warner 35-yard line. The kick pinned the Royals deep in their own territory at their own 10-yard line.
• A fumbled snap on third down by Blair led to a Royals punt, allowing the red-hot Keiser offense to retake the field.
• This time Keiser used the deep ball to find the end zone as Mathews connected with Walls for a 55-yard score with 4:27 left in the third. Walls touchdown ended a five play, 87-yard drive, pushing the lead to 35-23.
• The third Warner turnover of the game occurred on the ensuing drive as Alvarez worked his way into the backfield for a strip sack of Blair and came away with the recovery, giving Keiser the ball at the 34-yard line. Alvarez's strip sack put an end to a promising drive for the Royals, who were looking to shift momentum in the contest.

Fourth Quarter Highlights
Keiser 42, Warner 23

• Keiser's offense failed to score off the turnover, but the Seahawks defense came up big once again on the ensuing Royals' drive as Inman picked off Blair's pass and returned it 70-yards for the score with 9:20 left in the contest, essentially putting the game out of reach.
• The KU defense continued their second half dominance on the next possession as Chen Young came away with his second interception of the season after the Warner receiver slipped and fell while running his route. Young's return put the Seahawks at midfield.
• Neither team produced much offense on their closing possessions of the game as the Seahawks prevailed for their third road win of the season.

UP NEXT
It will be a battle of unbeaten teams Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Keiser Football Field when the No. 19 Seahawks return to home to face No. 12 Southeastern. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. Tickets to Saturday's contest are on sale now at https://kuseahawks.com/news/2019/10/8/-19-football-football-vs-southeastern-tickets-on-sale-now.aspx.

GAME NOTES

• Keiser is now 2-0 all-time against the Royals
• With the win, the Seahawks are now 6-3 all-time on the road
• For the second straight week, the Keiser defense forced four-plus turnovers
• The Keiser offensive attack is averaging 38.3 points per game over their last three contests
• The Seahawks 356 rush yards set a new school record, shattering the previous record of 252 set last season at Bluefield
• Keiser outgained Warner 490-424 on the day
• The 490 total yards by the Seahawks was a new school record, surpassing last season's 485-yard performance at Bluefield
• Linebacker, Ronnie Bennett collected his 100th career tackle in a Seahawks uniform
• Marques Burgess's 176-yard performance was a new Keiser record as the sophomore surpassed his previous total of 139, which he set last week in the win over Faulkner
• Kicker, Logan Robinson is now 22-for-22 on extra points this season after going a perfect 6-for-6
• Inman's 70-yard pick-six was the longest interception return in school history