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Bulldogs Hold On To Defeat St. Joseph's, 11-8
Sept. 15, 2007
Junior Jordan Quiroz kicked three field goals to support a strong defensive effort and help Butler defeat visiting St. Joseph's in a non-conference game at the Butler Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 15. The victory lifted Butler to 3-0 for the first time since 1991. Quiroz matched his single game career-high with the three field goals. He connected from 43 yards in the first quarter and then nailed kicks from 32 yards and 26 yards in the third period. The three kicks, along with a safety on a quarterback sack by senior Chris Marzotto in the first quarter, gave Butler an 11-0 lead with just over six minutes remaining. But St. Joseph's (0-3) stormed back in the closing minutes. The Pumas scored on a 24-yard fumble return by David Wallace after Butler punter Mike Morgan fumbled a snap with 6:01 left. The visitors closed to within three points on quarterback Anthony Lindsay's two-point conversion pass to Victor Torres. St. Joseph's then drove to the Butler 11-yard line with seven seconds remaining, but kicker Michael Binder missed a 28-yard field goal that would have tied the game. Butler's defense was the story of the game. The Bulldogs held St. Joseph's to a minus three yards rushing and 232 total yards. The Pumas gained 66 of those yards on the final drive of the game, against Butler's prevent defense. Butler's defense did not give up a point. "Our defense was outstanding all afternoon," said Butler coach Jeff Voris after the game. "We really controlled the line of scrimmage. Our main focus was to stop the run and keep the pass in front of us, and we did both." The Pumas also turned in a strong defensive effort, limiting Butler to just 86 yards on the ground and 158 total yards. The Bulldogs, who scored 12 touchdowns in their first two games, were unable to reach the end zone.
Senior tailback Derek North led Butler's offense with a career-high 101 rushing yards on 23 attempts. Quarterback T. J. Brown completed 12 of 30 passes with one interception for 72 yards. Freshman Kyle Bush caught two of those passes for 26 yards. Sophomores Derek Guggenberger and Spencer Summerville led Butler's defense with seven tackles apiece. Sophomore Peter Xander and freshman Cody Bearden each contributed a pair of quarterback sacks, and the Bulldogs finished with seven QB sacks as a team. Freshman Tadd Dombart came up with his third pass interception of the season, while senior Alex David picked off his second pass in three games. The Bulldogs will continue their homestand with a non-league game against Missouri-Rolla on Saturday, Sept. 22. That contest at the Butler Bowl is slated for 1 p.m. (ET). |
