Defense leads football over Fort Lewis |
| Posted by Administrator on Oct 29 2008 |
Photo by Garrett Ritonya
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Spitzberger of Denver stiff arms a defender Saturday afternoon against Fort Lewis. The Lopers won to move to 6-3 on the season.
By Garrett Ritonya
Antelope Staff
Perhaps Fort Lewis should throw in the white towel before coming to Ron and Carol Cope Stadium to face the University of Nebraska-Kearney Football Team from now on.
On Saturday afternoon, the Lopers shut out the visiting Skyhawks by a score of 24-0, the second straight year UNK has blanked them at Foster Field. Last year, the Lopers racked up the points in a 61-0 spanking. That makes the scores from the two meetings a combined 85-0 in favor of UNK.
It was also the second shutout of the season for UNK as the team also defeated Adams State 37-0 earlier in the year. This is the first time a Loper squad has forced the opposing team to lay a goose egg twice in a year since the Lopers did it in 1982.
"It's great knowing that the defense is going to get a three and out and give us the ball back in great field position," said Jake Spitzlberger of Denver, starting quarterback for the Lopers.
In seven RMAC games this season, the Lopers are only allowing 12.9 points per game with opponents gaining an average of only 43 yards rushing per game during that span. The Loper defense sacked Fort Lewis quarterbacks seven times during the game, with three coming from senior defensive end Nate Reicks of McCook.
Not to be outdone by the defense was sophomore wide receiver Kyle Kaiser from Broomfield, Colo.
Kaiser hauled in two touchdown passes on the day. The first was a 22-yard strike from Spitzlberger in the first quarter. The second was a 46-yard bomb from backup quarterback Bobby Adamson early in the fourth quarter.
Kaiser finished the game with six grabs for 110 yards receiving and those two scores.
The two touchdown receptions give Kaiser ten on the year, making him the fifth Loper to accomplish that feat. Kaiser has also nabbed seven touchdowns in his past three games.
"Kyle (Kaiser) has been amazing as my number one target," Spitzlberger said. "It will be interesting see, looking into the future, what we're capable of."
Meanwhile, Spitzlberger turned in another solid performance, going 15-for-22 with 167 yards and 2 touchdowns.
This marked the fourth straight win for the Lopers, the longest streak since the 2005 team checked off seven victories in a row. That mark seems to be more and more attainable, but it would take two more victories and a berth in the Division II playoffs to make it a reality.
The Lopers have two games left on the schedule, with the next game Nov. 1 on the road against a Colorado Mines team that is only one game behind UNK for second place in the RMAC.
UNK hosts Mesa State, a team currently tied for second with the Lopers in the RMAC, in the season finale on Nov. 8.
"These next two weeks are going to be tough against two of the best RMAC teams," Spitzlberger said. "I am confident that we can handle these teams very well and make a push at a berth in the Division II playoffs."
Back
