UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University football team bounced back with a 37-14 win over Truman State in the team's home opener. Mason McKenzie had another big day with 277 total yards including an 84-yard touchdown scramble in the fourth quarter that extended the Cardinal lead to 30-14.
"It was a big win for us. Truman is a team that wins nine games year in and year out," said head coach Ryan Brady. "Anytime you can beat a team like that it feels good. I am proud of the kids, proud of the way they responded and bounced back after last week's tough loss. They had a great week of practice and are a resilient group with great leadership. I was confident we would come out and play well.
Defense put SVSU on the board in the first quarter after Adom LeDuc had a sack fumble that was picked up by Micah Cretsinger who advanced it 32 yards for a touchdown, the sixth defensive score of his career.
The lead was expanded to 13-0 after Michael Jamerson III scored a five-yard touchdown that capped a 10-play, 61-yard drive that chewed up 4:21 on the clock as Saginaw Valley took a two-score lead into the second quarter. Rodrigo Castaneda made a 45-yard field goal at the end of the first half to put the lead at 16-0 at the break.
The Bulldogs battled back with two scores in the third quarter to cut the Cardinal lead to 16-14. The first came on the opening drive of the second half when Dylan Hair found Parker Erickson for a 65-yard touchdown pass and Jackson Overton converted the two-point conversion to put the score at 16-8 with 14:08 left on the clock.
McKenzie threw an interception to give TSU the ball on the SVSU 18-yard line. The Cardinals' special teams came up big with a blocked field goal attempt by Harold Irby III to keep the score where it was.
The Bulldogs scored on the next drive on a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a four-yard rushing touchdown from Denim Cook, but SVSU stopped the two-point conversion to hold onto the two-point lead with 5:30 remaining in the third stanza.
McKenzie found Eric Craft for a 22-yard pass before gaining another 20 yards with his legs that set up a first-and-goal from the three. Jamerson III punched it in on the next play for his second score of the game and the Cardinals led 23-14.
The game was well in hand after McKenzie scrambled for an 84-yard touchdown run that pushed the lead to 30-14 with just under seven minutes left to play.
The Cardinal defense came up huge again after forcing a turnover on downs. Austin Bills put the final touch on things with a 56-yard touchdown run on his first touch of the game on the next play to put the score at 37-14.
One final drive for Truman State moved down to the SVSU 16-yard line but Eli Gordon registered his second interception of the season at the three-yard line and returned it 66 yards to the Bulldog 31 and the SVSU offense kneeled to kill the clock and seal the win.
McKenzie finished 12-for-22 passing for 140 yards and six rushes for 137 yards and a score. Jamerson III had 14 carries for 57 yards and two scores. Zarek Zelinski and Sam Dersa had 42 receiving yards to lead the wideouts.
Eli Gordon led defensively with 11 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception in the game. It is the second time in his career he has registered double-digit stops in a game. Alfred Dailey Jr. finished with nine tackles while Leonard Henry IV and Jasper Beeler recorded seven. Henry IV had two tackles for loss and a sack in the winning effort. Cretsinger added six tackles and his scoop-and-score. LeDuc totaled five stops with his forced fumble and a sack.
The Cardinals will go back to being road warriors with a trip to face No. 16 Indianapolis next Saturday, September 28. The game against the Greyhounds will be the third in as many seasons, with kick-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (ET).
