Valparaiso University

The Valparaiso University football team controlled the lead and controlled a very viable path to a share of the Pioneer Football League championship with three and a half minutes remaining in Saturday's battle with PFL co-leader Dayton, but the Flyers scored two touchdowns in the final 3:18 to beat the Beacons 31-20 at Welcome Stadium in Dayton, Ohio. Nic Lendino (Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley) made two interceptions including a spectacular one-handed grab.
 
How It Happened

• Dayton received the opening kickoff and embarked on a long 18-play, 52-yard drive that took 9:05 and resulted in a 31-yard field goal by David Mauer. The Flyers converted on third-and-7, fourth-and-2, third-and-7 and fourth-and-3 on that drive. They were eventually set back by a penalty that nullified a touchdown and settled for three points.
• Valpo targeted Daniel White (Country Club Hills, Ill. / Brother Rice [Carroll]) five times on its opening drive and he made three catches, helping the Beacons move the ball inside the Dayton 40. However, the Flyers recovered a strip sack and took over on the Valpo 44.
• On the first play of Dayton's possession, the Valpo defense came up with an immediate takeaway of its own, as Garret Risley (Sacramento, Calif. / Jesuit [Northeastern State]) pressured the quarterback before Jason Salman (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Thomas Jefferson) made an interception at the Valpo 13. Dayton led 3-0 at the end of a lightning-fast first quarter.
• After Dayton's defense forced a punt early in the second, the Flyers found the end zone on a 27-yard pass, extending the lead to 10-0 with 9:10 remaining until halftime. On the ensuing drive, Micah Mackay (Zionsville, Ind. / Lutheran) made a 29-yard catch, and Valpo eventually moved the ball into field-goal range. Kicker Luke Scoma (Bellevue, Wash. / Bellevue) hit a 44 yarder to get the Beacons on the board at 10-3.
• Dayton converted two more third downs on its next drive, sandwiched around a big play on a 51-yard reception by Ethan Thulin. Eventually, the Flyers scored on a 5-yard TD catch that lifted the lead to 17-3 with 2:12 left in the half. Valpo punted, and the Beacons appeared to be in a bind, trailing 17-3 and Dayton had the ball in Valpo territory in the final minute of the half.
• The complexion of the first half changed with 15 seconds remaining, when Lendino made an impressive play to make an interception, then returned it 68 yards for a pick six to make it 17-10.
• The second half began with a special-teams jolt from Kaiser Wilhelm (Mason, Ohio / William Mason), who returned the kickoff 58 yards to the Dayton 29. That set up an eventual 22-yard field goal by Scoma that whittled the lead to four at 17-13.
• The Valpo defense got off the field in a hurry, forcing a quick three-and-out. Micah Markley (West Chester, Ohio / Lakota West) and Alex Goworowski (Chicago, Ill. / Saint Patrick) combined to stop the ball carrier a yard shy of the first down on third-and-8 from the UD 12.
• The Beacons found paydirt on the next possession as Rowan Keefe (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) connected with Colin Hayes (Bloomington, Ill. / Bloomington Central Catholic) for a 5-yard touchdown on third-and-goal, vaulting Valpo ahead 20-17 with 2:37 left in the third.
• Lendino made his second interception of the day, a diving, one-handed pick at the Valpo 7-yard line, giving Valpo the lead and the ball with 14:13 remaining. Keefe moved the chains with a 14-yard keeper on third-and-11, but that drive ultimately ended with a punt.
• Dayton converted a fourth-and-1 and a third-and-2 on its next drive, before Michael Mussari hauled in a 6-yard TD pass on third-and goal to put Dayton up 24-20 with just 3:08 to play. That drive used 12 plays and 7:11 to cover 40 yards.
• Dayton followed with an interception that all but sealed the deal, then tacked on another late score to account for the final margin.

Inside the Game

• Lendino had his second multi-interception game of the season, as he also grabbed two picks on Oct. 10 vs. Drake.
• Lendino lifted his season total to a team-high five interceptions and his career total to nine. He is tied for second nationally in FCS in interceptions this season.
• Lendino became one of 25 players nationally in FCS with an interception return of 68 yards or more this season. He notched Valpo's first pick six since Kohlton Sherman set a program record with a 95 yarder on Nov. 12, 2022 at Marist.
• Salman's interception was his third of the season, as he previously recorded picks against Lawrence Tech and Morehead State.
• Scoma went 2-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-2 on PATs in the game. He has 10 made field goals on the season, one shy of entering the program's top five for makes in a single year.
• Redshirt junior linebacker Max Samuel (Edina, Minn. / Edina) had one tackle for loss as he was credited with a ½ TFL on two separate plays. This boosted his season total to 18, three shy of Valpo's program record and currently third in program history.
• Valpo had five tackles for loss, lifting the team's season total to 62. Markley and Wilhelm had 1.5 TFL each.
• Redshirt sophomore Anthony Feltrinelli (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) notched a team-high nine tackles, followed by Lendino and Connor Cervantes (Griffith, Ind. / Griffith) with eight apiece. Salman and Wilhelm each added seven stops.
• Dayton held a 393-224 edge in total offense including a 102-45 advantage on the ground. The Flyers were 9-of-14 on third down and 3-of-3 on fourth down.
• Redshirt senior Chris Gundy (Smithfield, Va. / Smithfield), O'Keeffe and White had three grabs a piece on a day where Keefe's 17 completions went to eight different receivers.

Up Next
Valpo (4-5, 3-3 PFL) will head to DeLand, Fla. to clash with Stetson next week on Saturday, Nov. 14. The game will kick off at noon Central Time and will air on YouTube.