Fourth quarter dooms Pride in 2024 opener

FREMONT, Neb. - Returning to their season-opening non-conference matchup from 2023 but flipping the home team, the Clarke University football team suffered a 45-7 loss to Midland University on Friday night.

The Warriors scored 28 unanswered points after CU got their first score of the seaosn to make it 17-3 in the third quarter as Midland finished with a 28-0 fourth quarter to pull away late.

Playing to a bit of a defensive matchup early on, Midland would strike first on their second drive of the game as tailback Tyson Denkert would score at the 8:30 mark of the first quarter on a 25-yard run to make it 7-0 MU.

Denkert was a key to the Warriors' success, finishing the game with 174 rushing yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns to finish with a 9.7 yards per carry average and a long run of 53 yards.

The Pride offense struggled out of the gate behind new starting quarterback Malik Inabinette as he would throw an interception in their first drive then fumble in their second drive, setting up Midland for their first score where Denkert would score two plays later.

Entering halftime at a 10-0 lead, Midland would receive the opening kickoff of the second half to drive down the field and score on Denkert's second touchdown run of the game after he set up the Warriors in scoring territory with that aforementioned 53-yard run.

Clarke's first offensive possession of the second half would be their best as they were aided by a few MU penalties before cashing in from 27 yards out on an Inabinette pass to Riley Hawkins for a 27-yard touchdown.

Midland would drive back into scoring territory later in the quarter but a timely fumble, recovered by TJ Shropshire, would keep the game at 10 points and give CU the ball deep in their own territory.

Unable to get a drive going from their own 11 yard line to start the fourth quarter, CU would be forced to punt out of their own end zone  where Denkert would add his third and final score of the game, returning the punt 44 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-7.

A pair of kickoff miscues, a turnover on downs, and another interception would set up Midland with short fields as they would capitalize on three of those short fields to score three more touchdowns to pull away to the eventual 45-7 final.

With their opener taking place on a Friday night, Pride football will get an extra day to prepare for their first Heart of America Athletic Conference opponent as they'll travel to Heart South foe Missouri Baptist University on Sept. 7 for a 1:00 p.m. CT in Creve Coeur, Mo. in a non-conference matchup.