BLUFFTON, Ohio – Showcasing a stifling defense and a well-balanced offense, Saint Vincent rolled to a 34-14 win at Bluffton University in its 2021 season-opener.
The Bearcats (1-0) nearly doubled up the Beavers (0-2) in total offense, rolling up 329 yards compared to the hosts' 173, while SVC's defense forced three turnovers and tied a program record with six sacks.
The SVC linebacker corps led the strong defensive effort, as Cam Norris recorded four tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble; Jack Poling a team-high six tackles and an interception; and Joanes Polynice five tackles, including a sack.
Offensively, quarterback Brady Walker completed 18 of 30 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns, both to Keith Kalp, who finished with five catches for a career-high 143 yards. Molayo Irefin held the team lead with seven receptions, gaining 57 yards, while Saint Vincent also gained 143 yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground, led by Julian Howard's 64 yards.
"We talked to the team all week about accountability, consistency and confidence," said SVC head coach Aaron Smetanka. "Today, our guys held each other accountable in knowing our plays, knowing our alignments and in minimalizing our penalties. Consistency was one thing we didn't have, though, and we lost a lot of plays on the field. But it's not a bad thing when that happens and you win the game."
Saint Vincent, which never trailed, took the lead for good on the first play of its third drive, when Kalp hauled in a pass from Walker and burst down the sidelines for a 52-yard touchdown. Adam Koscielicki's extra point was good, and SVC led 7-0 with 6:36 left in the opening period.
"Brady did a great job getting the ball down the field," Smetanka said, "and Keith Kalp made a great run after the catch for that first touchdown."
The Beavers wasted little time in tying the game, as just three minutes after Kalp's score, Bluffton's Antoine Coulter scooped up a fumble and returned it 80 yards for the touchdown to make it 7-7.
The Bearcats shook off the miscue and ended the quarter driving. Taking over at their own 46, SVC used a healthy mix of runs and passes to move down the field. The drive appeared to stall on the final play of the quarter, with SVC stopped on a third and two on the Bluffton 21. Smetanka would keep the offense on the field, however, with rookie Billy Beck gaining the first down with an 8-yard run, before Howard burst through the middle for a 13-yard touchdown to put the visitors ahead 14-7.
Saint Vincent capitalized on another lengthy drive to add onto its lead, with Beck's 1-yard touchdown plunge capping off an 11-play, 56-yard drive that spanned 6 minutes and pushed the Bearcats in front 21-7 with 5:28 remaining in the half.
The Bearcats maintained their 14-point lead through halftime, thanks to a pair of stops by the defense. Three plays after Beck's touchdown, Norris burst through to sack Bluffton quarterback Blake Rine and force a fumble, which was recovered by Poling. After SVC's next drive ended with a turnover, the defense responded yet again. With Bluffton facing a third-and-one on the SVC 28, Norris picked up his second sack in as many trips, resulting in a loss of three. With 20 seconds left on the clock, the Beavers went for it on fourth down, but Poling broke up a pass to end the half.
Another big defensive play by Poling early in the third quarter led to another prime scoring chance for SVC, with the linebacker picking off a Beaver pass near midfield and returning it 18 yards to the Bluffton 22. After a 9-yard run and a 12-yard reception by Molayo Irefin, the sophomore speedster would close out the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give the visitors a 28-7 lead with 8:17 left in the quarter.
Bluffton needed just two plays to cut the deficit in half, with a 75-yard pass from Rine to Jeremy Locklear making the score 28-14, but it was the Beavers' final offensive highlight of the afternoon.
After Walker and Kalp hooked up for another long TD pass, this one covering 57 yards to make it 34-14 with 10 minutes left in regulation, the Bearcat defense would take over, limiting Bluffton to -4 yards of total offense on 15 plays, while adding three more sacks, over the game's final quarter.
"Our defense really brought the pressure all day," Smetanka said, "not only on the quarterback but also on their running backs. The guys on the defensive line were getting really good pressure up front, especially once they started passing the ball more in the second half."
Four different players accounted for SVC's six sacks. Norris and Ryan Brown each had two QB takedowns, while Polynice and Dwight Collins Jr. each picked up their first career sacks.
For Bluffton, Rine completed 11 of 32 passes with one touchdown and one interception for 143 yards, with Locklear leading his team's receivers with four catches for 90 yards. Saint Vincent limited Bluffton to just 30 rushing yards, all gained by the Beavers' Calvin Dudley.
The Bearcats will now begin to prep for their home opener, as they welcome Presidents' Athletic Conference rival Geneva College to Chuck Noll Field for a 1:30 p.m. matchup on Saturday, Sept. 18.
Balanced offense, stifling defense lead Saint Vincent to convincing opening-day win
/seasons/2021/boxscores/20210911_hvsn.xml
2021
St. Vincent
34
Bluffton
14
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Vincent (1-0) | 7 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
| Bluffton (0-2) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Sep 11, 2021