Pride fall to No. 2 Grand View on Senior Day
DUBUQUE, Iowa - Looking to hand one of the best teams in the NAIA their first loss of the 2023 season, the Clarke University football team had a tough time getting any momentum going in a 40-0 loss to No. 2 Grand View University on Saturday afternoon.
A strong defensive effort in the first half saw the Pride two punts and an interception by Grand View as the Vikings led by a score of 19-0 after 30 minutes of action as Clarke was looking to make the first two possessions end in punts for the Vikings but punter Kody Kruschwitz tucked the ball away as he rolled right looking to make a rugby style punt and picked up the first down on a fourth and four from their own 47 yard line.
That drive would end on the very next play as Avery Gates rushed for his first of two touchdowns on the day from 37 yards out to make it a 7-0 lead early for Grand View.
Another special teams play would lead to more points for GVU as a 47-yard Brandon Mueller punt drove returner Seth Juhl back to his own 17 yard line and took it back 46 yards into Pride territory that would lead to a 40 yard field goal from Nathan Hamilton.
The Vikings would add another touchdown and field goal before the end of the half to hold that 19-0 lead but would break out offensively in the third quarter, hitting a couple of 59-yard pass plays as Grand View quarterback Jackson Waring would hit Gates for his second touchdown of the day and Damon Street on what would be his second touchdown of the day as Waring had to buy time scrambling to his right on both occasions, eventually finding his targets open on scramble drill openings.
Waring would finish the day with 225 passing yards and 15 rushing on five attempts with those two touchdown strikes, Gates rushed for a game-high 106 yards on just 13 attempts while leading the team in receiving as well at 73 yards while Street only had one rush and one reception but both found paydirt with his nine-yard TD run in the second quarter and that 59-yard reception in the third.
Clarke's offense was led by Craig Elmore's rushing attack as the senior from Chicago gained 93 yards on 33 carries as Kenyon Williams went 9-for-19 passing with 91 yards with six of his nine completions going to Jackson Ostrander as the junior from Dubuque gained 51 yards on his six catches.
Pride football will head into the offseason after back-to-back three-win seasons as CU will hope to build off of a strong season from a lot of underclassmen players but will also have to fill signifcant losses as key positions to graduating seniors.