Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
MILWAUKEE, Wis.--Sophomore running back Emmanuel Stewart recorded his fourth 100-yard rushing performance of the season, freshman Darius Philon had a career receiving day and freshman linebacker Chris Adams led a strong defensive effort, as Adrian College rolled to a 30-12 win over Wisconsin Lutheran in non-conference football action on Saturday.
Stewart, a reigning offensive player of the week by D3football.com and USACollegeFootball.org, carried the ball 29 times for a game-high 132 yards. Philon caught four passes for 108 yards to lead all receivers, including a 65-yard touchdown reception from classmate Gage Smith to put Adrian up 16-0 with 9 minutes, 17 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
WLC quarterback Gino DeGeorge completed 13 of 31 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
Adams, who led the Bulldogs (4-3 overall) with five tackles and eight total, returned an interception 53 yards into the end zone for a 10-0 advantage at the 10:26 mark in the first quarter.
Sophomore Cameron Cook put Adrian on the board at the 11:14 mark of the first with a 29-yard field, culminating a 3:46 scoring drive in eight plays. The Bulldogs' first possession for either side was set up by a 48-yard kickoff return by Philon to the WLC 49.
Wisconsin Lutheran (2-5) pulled within 16-6 to wrap up the scoring late in the first half. Theo Belhomme was on the receiving end of a 21-yard TD throw from DeGeorge. The Warriors took advantage of a short field after an Adrian 23-yard punt went out of bounds at its own 36.
In the second half, Adrian upped the advantage to 23-6 with 7:57 to go in the third when junior quarterback Stephen Milarch plunged into the end zone from a yard out. The Bulldogs' defense came up with a fumble recovery by freshman Austin Kowalczyk at the WLC 37-yard line to put the offense in great field position. Senior Dontrell Tucker, who finished with seven tackles (4 solo), forced the turnover.
The Warriors responded quickly on the ensuing possession. DeGeorge threw a 27-yard TD strike to Mitch Skarban at 5:40 to cap a six-play, 74-yard drive in 2:10, but the two-point conversion failed to keep AC in front 23-12. Skarban ended up with six catches for 62 yards.
Adrian's longest scoring drive on the afternoon came with 72 seconds remaining in the third. Sophomore running back David Nutter finished off a 65-yard march in eight plays over a 4:22 span to wrap up the scoring to account for the 18 point margin of victory.
Senior linebacker Leslie Young (5 tackles) and sophomore defensive back Jarius Garner (4 solo, 5 tackles) also shined for the AC defense, which allowed just 239 total yards and forced four turnovers. Adams picked off two passes.
The Bulldogs had 360 yards of total offense and had a whopping 39:50 to 20:10 advantage in time of possession.
The WLC defense was led by Tanner Behnke with a game-best 17 tackles, including seven solo. Jake Engels had eight stops and broke up a pass.
The Bulldogs wrap up their three-game road swing next Saturday in Holland, Mich., to play Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival Hope College.
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