Score: No. 9 Keiser Seahawks 21, No. 16 St. Thomas Bobcats 14
Records: Keiser (3-2, 2-0 SUN), St. Thomas (3-3, 1-1 SUN)
Location: Keiser Multipurpose Field (1,500) - West Palm Beach, Fla.
Time of Game: 3:43
Weather: Partly Cloudy, Rainy
The No. 9-ranked Keiser football team remained perfect in Sun Conference action all-time (8-0), defeating the No. 16-ranked St. Thomas Bobcats, 21-14, on Saturday evening.
The Seahawks were led by quarterback
Bryce Veasley, who tossed two touchdown passes and rushed for another versus the Bobcats. Veasley completed 10-of-13 passes for 151 yards on the night. Running back
Jaden Meizinger rushed for 90 yards on 25 carries while tight end
D'Andre Golden caught four passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball,
Jaelin Willis collected eight total tackles to become the school's all-time leader in tackles (201). He also forced one fumble and broke up two passes.
With the win, Keiser improves to 46-15 all-time, including a 23-4 record at the Keiser Multi-Purpose Field.
Keiser 14, St. Thomas 7
- The Bobcats took an early 7-0 lead, scoring on their first drive of the game.
- The STU touchdown set up by a 48-yard pass from Keely Watson to C'Quan Jnopierre down to the KU four-yard line.
- Watson punched it in from one-yard out with 13:06 left in the first.
- Wendol Philord returned an STU punt 40 yards down to the Bobcat 14-yard line as KU began its second drive of the game in the red zone.
- On the first play of the drive, quarterback Bryce Veasley found tight end D'Andre Golden for 14 yards and the touchdown.
- The extra point by Luke Creber tied the game, 7-7, with 9:08 on the game clock.
- The Bobcats tried to respond on the ensuing drive, setting up a 40-yard field goal attempt for Alejandro Prado.
- However, the STU kick missed the attempt (wide right), keeping the game knotted at 7-all (4:50 left in the first).
- The Seahawks drove 77 yards on 10 plays to take a 14-7 lead with 00:19 left in the quarter.
- During the drive, the Sehawks used a pair of "chunk" plays to set up the go-ahead score.
- Veasley found Maurico Porcha for 12 yards coupled with a personal foul penalty for targeting to set the Seahawks up with first-and-10 from the 50.
- Three plays later, Veasley connected with Jaden Meizinger for 30 yards to set up KU at first-and-10 from the STU 17-yard line.
- Veasley capped off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run.
Keiser 21, St. Thomas 7
- Both team were unable to add any points on the scoreboard through the first five drives of the quarter.
- Keiser extended its lead to 21-7 following an eight-yard touchdown pass from Veasley to Refeno Vangates with 2:09 remaining in the half.
- The Seahawks went into halftime with a 14-point lead.
Keiser 21, St. Thomas 14
- On St. Thomas' first drive of the second half, the game's first turnover was recorded.
- The Bobcats had the ball first-and-15 from their own 18-yard line.
- Feeling pressure from the Keiser front four, STU's Watson rushed for nine yards but fumbled the ball as linebacker Jaelin Willis took him down.
- The ball was recovered by defensive back Darrell Livingston, giving the Seahawks the ball on the STU 29-yard line.
- The tackle by Willis gave the Fort Myers, Florida, native the record for career tackles at Keiser.
- The Bobcats rebounded on their next drive, scoring on a three-yard touchdown pass from Watson to Jnopierre with 4:02 left in the third.
Keiser 21, St. Thomas 14
- At the start of the fourth, Keiser was forced to punt giving St. Thomas the ball at their own 11-yard line.
- Before the Bobcats could snap the ball to start the drive, the game was delay due to lightning in the area.
- The delay lasted 59 minutes as the game resumed with 14:13 left in regulation.
- After eight plays, the Bobcats were forced to punt the ball away.
- Keiser began their drive first-and-10 for their own 20 (9:42).
- The Seahawks used 10 plays to eat up 6:59 as St. Thomas got the ball with 2:43 left on the clock.
- The Seahawks forced the Bobcats to go for it on fourth-and-three from the STU 25-yard line.
- Watson attempted to connect with running back Rontavious Farmer but the pass fell incomplete resulting on a turnover-on-downs.
- With 00:57 left on the clock, the Seahawks held onto the ball as time expired to claim the 21-14 victory.
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- The win moves the Seahawks to 46-15 all-time.
- Saturday marked the fifth meeting all-time between the two teams with the Seahawks improving to 5-0 all-time versus the Bobcats.
- With the win, Keiser remains perfect in Sun Conference play all-time (8-0).
- With the win, the Seahawks move to 28-3 all-time in conference play.
- The win also improves Keiser to 23-4 all-time at home.
- Saturday marked the second time this season in which the Seahawks faced a team in the NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25.
- Keiser is 15-7 all-time versus ranked opponents.
- Junior linebacker Jaelin Willis became the career leader in tackles record at Keiser (201. The native of Fort Myers, Florida, recorded eight on Saturday versus the Bobcats to become the first Keiser player to reach the 200-tackle plateau.
- Bryce Veasley: 10-of-13 passing for 151 yards, and two touchdowns.
The Seahawks will return to action next Saturday, traveling to Lake Wales, Florida, to take on the Warner Royals. Kickoff from the Tye Athletic Field is set for 6:00 PM
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