Missed opportunities cost Hawks chance to upset nationally ranked Greyhounds

QUINCY — Opportunity knocked. The Quincy University football team didn’t answer.

Twice Saturday, the Hawks drove inside the University of Indianapolis 5-yard line. Twice, they came up empty. Missed field goals on both drives proved costly as Quincy suffered a 24-14 loss to the No. 11 Greyhounds in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at QU Stadium.

“You have to make the most when you’re playing teams like Indianapolis,” QU coach Gary Bass said. “You can’t miss opportunities to score.”

The first miss would have given the Hawks the lead.

Taking possession on their own 24-yard line following a Greyhounds punt, the Hawks (5-3, 2-2 GLVC) used a 55-yard completion from Drake Davis to reach the UIndy 4-yard line. A 3-yard pass to running back JQ Brown got the ball to the 1-yard line, but the Hawks were unable to punch the ball into the end zone, settling for a 20-yard field goal attempt.

Michael Owens’ kick hit the right upright and caromed out.

In the third quarter, with UIndy ahead 14-7, Quincy drove to the 4-yard line and was stymied, again settling for a short Owens field goal attempt that was missed.

“Blunders, self-inflicted wounds,” Bass said. “They led to our struggles.”

Losing Davis to a knee injury in the third quarter didn’t help matters either.

The starting quarterback completed 17 of 25 passes for 170 yards, while running for 13 yards on four carries. Ike Wiley, the Quincy Notre Dame graduate, replaced Davis under center and went 4 of 11 for 42 yards with an interception.

He also was sacked five times and put under fire because of the Hawks’ inability to run the ball consistently. Quincy finished with 57 yards rushing and 1.9 yards per carry.

“Offensively, we sputtered and never caught our footing,” Bass said. “We just didn’t play well.”

Defensively, the Hawks gave themselves a chance.

UIndy quarterback Gavin Sukup threw for 265 yards and the Greyhounds churned out 442 yards ot total offense, but at the start of the fourth quarter, they led just 14-7. Anthony Crowell’s 3-yard touchdown reception two minutes into the fourth quarter gave UIndy a 21-7 lead.

The Greyhounds didn’t let that lead ever get away.

“Defensively, we played our tails off,” Bass said. “We didn’t do enough offensively.”