Hawks barely avoid tying school record for points allowed in 70-21 rout by Indianapolis

QUINCY — Only out of the kindness of the Indianapolis coaching staff did the Quincy University football program avoid tying a school record for defensive ineptitude on Saturday,

The Greyhounds had the ball at the Hawks’ 2-yard line with about two minutes remaining to play. Even though the reserves were in the game, and the Greyhounds kept the ball on the ground for the previous 15 plays, backup quarterback Connor Kinnett took a knee on third down and fourth down.

That decision likely prevented QU from tying a school record for most points allowed in a single game. The Hawks were overwhelmed 70-21 in a Great Lakes Valley Conference game at QU Stadium. It’s the third-worst defeat in GLVC play in school history.

The Hawks (3-5, 1-3 GLVC) allowed the most points in a game since a 73-28 loss to Ohio Dominican during the 2015 season. The school record for points allowed in a single game is 77, which happened in 2002 against St. Francis (Ind.) and again in 2003 against Taylor (Ind.).

“After the game, I said, ‘Guys, I wish there was some exact perfect set of words that I could tell you right now,’” Hawks coach Gary Bass said. “We’ve got to have grit. We’ve got to show toughness. We’ve got to move on. We’ve got to get better tomorrow. We’ve got watch the film in every capacity — coaches, players, the works. And we can’t make that many mistakes.”

QU defense ranks 160th out of 163 NCAA Division II teams

QU’s defense was allowing an average of 512.9 yards through seven games, ranking 160th out of 163 NCAA Division II teams. The Hawks allowed 577 yards to Indianapolis.

Remarkably, the Hawks pitched a shutout in the first quarter and led 7-0. After Angel Ruiz’s spectacular diving one-handed touchdown catch for a 29-yard touchdown, the hosts only trailed 28-21 with 9:49 remaining in the third quarter.

The defense, however, offered little resistance on this day.

Indianapolis (5-3, 3-1 GLVC) ran the ball 60 times and racked up 425 yards. The Greyhounds had possession of the ball for 37 minutes and 59 seconds, while QU only had the ball for 22 minutes.

“Two and a half quarters through, we’re down by a score with an opportunity,” Bass said. “We’re not even playing great football. We’d given up a blocked punt at that point in time and had some other negative things happen, but we were out there in a good position. So we’ve just got to make sure we do a better job at the end of games of not allowing things to get out of hand like that.”

Three touchdowns by Indianapolis in a little more than four minutes bury Hawks

Touchdowns by Lenny Bennett and Toriano Clinton in the final 2:21 of the second quarter put Indianapolis ahead 28-14 at halftime. The Greyhounds had the ball for nearly 22 minutes in the 30-minute first half.

Ruiz’s touchdown gave QU hope, but three touchdowns by the Greyhounds in a little more than four minutes put the game away.

Jermaine Lee’s 53-yard kickoff return, coupled with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty, gave Indianapolis the ball on the QU 30-yard line. Two plays later, Jon Eineman caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Brock Stancombe.

QU went three-and-out on its next drive, and Indianapolis needed just two plays to score. Clinton, who rushed for 234 yards on 24 carries, ripped off a 66-yard run. Bennett, who rushed for 153 yards on 16 carries, then scored from 13 yards out to put Indianapolis ahead 42-21.

The Hawks gained one first down on their next possession, but on fourth and one, Harris lost the ball on an option pitch. Kaysus Kurns scooped up the loose ball and raced 48 yards for a touchdown. 

No QU drive in second half lasted longer than 2:18

“At 28-21, we were a good position to get back … and the wheels fell off on some things,” Bass said. “We made a lot more mistakes in that in that five-to-10 minute window, and unfortunately, that’s what happens when you make those type of mistakes against a football program like Indianapolis that is big in physical and athletic. They put you in bad situations quickly.”

QU had 17 running plays in the second half that gained just 14 yards. The Hawks had nine drives in the second half, and none of them lasted longer than 2 minutes, 18 seconds.

Receiver Eugene Witherspoon, who led NCAA Division II with 13 touchdown receptions through seven games, was held without a catch. He was injured making a tackle on an interception in the first half and did not return.

The Hawks have lost five straight games to Indianapolis by a combined score of 257-47.

Most points allowed in a game by QU defense

• 77 points: 77-21 to St. Francis Ind. in 2002; 77-21 to Taylor in 2003
• 75 points: 75-0 to Central Missouri in 2000
• 73 points: 73-28 to Ohio Dominican in 2015
• 70 points: 70-7 to Southern Illinois in 2010; 70-7 to Indiana State in 2013; 70-21 to Indianapolis in 2021
• 69 points: 69-14 to Truman State in 2002

Largest margin of defeat in a QU game

• 75 points: 75-0 to Central Missouri in 2000
• 63 points: 70-7 to Southern Illinois in 2010; 70-7 to Indiana State in 2013; 63-0 to Western Illinois in 2008
• 59 points: 59-0 to South Dakota in 2006
• 58 points: 64-6 to Missouri S&T in 2012; 58-0 to Morningside in 1998
• 56 points: 77-21 to St. Francis Ind. in 2002; 77-21 to Taylor in 2003
• 55 points: 69-14 to Truman State in 2002
• 52 points: 59-7 to Drake in 1992
• 51 points: 51-0 to St. Xavier in 2009
• 50 points: 64-14 to Morehead State in 1996; 57-7 to Wayne State in 1997; 64-14 to Southern Illinois in 2003
• 49 points: 63-14 to Truman State in 2019; 49-0 to Indiana State in 2018; 70-21 to Indianapolis in 2021; 61-12 to St. Francis (Ill.) in 1997
• 47 points: 60-13 to Central Missouri in 1999; 63-16 to Missouri S&T in 2017
• 45 points: 73-28 to Ohio Dominican in 2015