ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Saginaw Valley State University football team won its fourth-straight game to improve to 5-1 for the first time since 2018 and a 2-0 start in GLIAC play after a 27-14 win at Roosevelt on Saturday afternoon.
The Cardinals (5-1, 2-0 GLIAC) compiled 434 yards of total offense and averaged 7.61 yards per play while limiting the Lakers (0-5, 0-2 GLIAC) to just 241 yards of offense and 4.83 yards per play.
"Long road trip. I am happy to come out here and get a W," said head coach Ryan Brady. "I am really pleased with the way we found a way to win the fourth quarter and close it out."
Mason McKenzie finished the first half 10-for-19 passing for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He got things going for the Cardinals with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Eric Craft on the opening drive of the game to take a 7-0 lead at 13:01.
Meijer Player of the Game, Terrance Brown Jr. extended the lead to 13-0 at the 11:48 mark of the second quarter with a 40-yard rush, a missed extra point attempt kept the margin at 13 points. Brown finished the first half with eight carries for 88 yards and a score.
McKenzie added the final score of the first half with a 16-yard run in the final two minutes of the second quarter.
Joseph Walker caught five passes for 96 yards in the opening 30 minutes of play. Craft had one catch for 42 yards and a score. Five different Cardinals caught passes from McKenzie in the first half of the contest.
SVSU had 15 first downs in the first half with 344 yards of total offense (181 passing, 163 rushing). The Cardinals' offense was efficient in through the first two quarters of play with 9.56 yards per play.
Saginaw Valley fumbled on the first offensive play of the second half, but the defense stalled out the Laker attack and forced a punt.
The Cardinal offense then halted at the Roosevelt 39-yard line, but the Lakers blocked the punt and returned it to the SVSU 28-yard line. RU punched it in two plays later when Cyrus Zuell ran for a 26-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 20-14 with 6:17 left in the third frame.
Jaquon Howard responded for what would be the game's final score when he returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a score to push the advantage to 27-14. Howard's return was just two yards short of tying the SVSU record.
McKenzie finished 18-for-27 passing for 232 yards with one touchdown pass. Mason scored once on the ground and totaled 75 yards rushing in the win. Brown Jr. finished with 113 yards rushing and a touchdown. It is his first 100-yard rushing performance since week one of last season. Joseph Walker recorded his first 100-yard receiving mark, the first of the season for the Cardinals as well, with seven catches for 117 yards.
Alfred Dailey Jr. and Mo Kamara led the defense with six tackles. Adom LeDuc was the leader in the pass rush with two sacks. He finished with five tackles.
UP NEXT: The Cardinals return home for the Battle of the Valleys game against Grand Valley State University. The game is also Saginaw Valley State's homecoming game. Kick-off against the Lakers is set for 3:00 p.m. (ET).
