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AURORA, IL - The Benedictine University football team lost for the first time in conference play at Aurora University in a contest that featured over 1,000 yards combined.
Aurora opened the scoring on the first drive of the game, taking a 6-0 lead. Benedictine moved into Aurora territory on their first drive but was forced to punt and Aurora moved 93 yards and converted on a two-point conversion to lead 14-0. Gregory Hoard broke free for a 24-yard run to help set up the first Benedictine score at the end of the first. Deandre Holliday scampered in from nine yards out to cut the margin to 14-7.
Aurora scored on three straight possessions in the second quarter to open a 34-7 edge. Benedictine broke the stretch by Hoard plunging in from a yard out to pull within 34-14 with 1:21 left in the half. Aurora countered quickly to score just before the half, taking a 42-14 lead into the break.
Hakeem Hartford opened the second half with a 37-yard kickoff return to give Benedictine solid field position. Tyler Jarnagin hit Calin Gurau on back-to-back passes to open the scoring, finding the endzone on a 13-yard pass after reeling in a 44-yarder making the score 42-21 less than a minute into the second half. Aurora's offense continued to score, jumping to a 49-21 lead. Benedictine embarked on a long drive to keep the offense off the field. Anthony Senerchia hauled in a nine-yard score to bring Benedictine within 49-28 with 6:57 left in the third.
Denzel Simmon recovered a fumble late in the third to stop Aurora for the first time in the game. Benedictine proceeded to move 95 yards down the field to pull within 49-35 on another Hoard one-yard dive. The defense had several chances to stop Aurora on the ensuing possession but the hosts scored a 20-yard touchdown on fourth-and-11 to extend the lead to 56-35. Benedictine went for it on fourth down deep in their own territory to set up Aurora with a short field, adding to the lead on just one play to go up 63-35. Ryan Weninger caught a 31-yard pass with 2:38 remaining for the final points of the game.
Benedictine put up 483 yards of offense while Aurora totaled 589. Benedictine posted 379 yards through the air and 104 on the ground. Jarnagin completed 27 passes for 379 yards with three touchdowns. Holliday caught seven passes for 141 yards while Gurau also caught seven passes for 95 yards with a touchdown. Ahmad Washington finished with 13 tackles, a hurry and a forced fumble. Simmon and Joel Nanni both recorded 11 stops. Jalaan Owens and Christopher Williams posted nine tackles each.
Benedictine (6-2, 5-1 NACC) hosts Concordia Chicago in the final home game of the year next Saturday afternoon.