(Peru, Neb.) – On an awesome Homecoming day in the Oak Bowl on the Peru State College (PSC) campus, the YellowJackets of Graceland University (GU) were not nice guests as they stung the Bobcats with a 28-20 loss.
 
The Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) matchup saw Graceland improve to 2-1 in the conference, good for a tie for third.  Overall, Graceland is now 3-2.
 
The Bobcats fell to 1-3 in the HAAC and 2-3 overall.
 
First Half Action
 
The Bobcats took the opening kickoff, were stopped defensively by the YellowJackets, and were forced to punt.  Peru State came up with a good defensive stance and held Graceland to a three and out, but could not do anything on their own next possession.
 
On Graceland's second possession of the first quarter, the YellowJackets put together a five-play, 50-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown.  With the PAT, GU led 7-0 with 8:22 left in the first quarter.
 On the kickoff, Garret Campbell (Santee, Calif.) had a 33-yard return putting Peru State on their own 35 to start their drive.  Following an incomplete pass, quarterback Bo Shepard (Gretna) scrambled for 16 yards to get the ball into Graceland territory.  An 11-yard run by Ryan Ludlow (Plattsmouth) got another first down.  A 34-yard touchdown scamper by Shepard followed two short gains by Ludlow.  The PAT failed, so the 'Cats trailed 7-6 with 5:46 left in the first.
 
Graceland put together another drive that took eight plays to go 72 yards in a little over four minutes.  With the PAT, the YellowJackets led 14-6 with 1:18 left in the quarter.
 
Logan Paben (Columbus) returned the YellowJacket kickoff 32 yards and PSC started their next possession on their own 38-yard line.  Shepard found former quarterback Jacob Grobe (Oakland, Iowa) for a 55-yard pass that took the ball down to Graceland's seven-yard line.  Ludlow took it in from there on the next play for the touchdown.  Levi Cockle (Lincoln) tacked on the extra point and PSC was back within one at 14-13 with 37 ticks left in the first quarter.
Graceland would score twice in the second quarter.  The YellowJackets scored on their two possessions and led 28-13 at halftime.
 
Second Half Action
 
On the Bobcats' second drive of the second half, the Bobcats started a drive on their own 24-yard line.  Shepard found Ryan Twehous (Central City) for an 11-yard first down passing which was followed by a 15-yard rush for a first down by Ludlow getting the ball to midfield.  When it appeared the Bobcats were going to be forced to punt, Grobe (the punter and former quarterback) threw a pass to Preston Bruss (Bennet) which was good for 30 yards and put PSC on the YellowJackets' 17-yard line.  A penalty and little gained rushing forced the Bobcats to try a 38-yard field goal that was just wide left.
 
Peru State held Graceland on their next drive and got the ball back on their own 22-yard line.  After an incomplete pass, Ludlow rambled for 24 yards for a first down.  Graceland was tagged for a personal foul on the next play, which put the ball in YellowJacket territory at the 39-yard line.  Ludlow had a run of 33 yards and then followed it with six yards for a touchdown.  Cockle's PAT was good and PSC was down 28-20 with 23 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Bobcats had the only substantial drive in the fourth quarter as they took 6:48 off the clock before being forced to punt.  Peru State's last drive got them on Graceland's side of the field before the YellowJackets gained an interception and then ran out the game clock.
 
Team Statistics
 
Statistically, it was about as even as the score.  Graceland finished with 17 first downs while PSC had 16.  The Bobcats outrushed the YellowJackets 257 to 233, but Graceland had the advantage passing at 122 to 110.  Total yardage was in favor of the Bobcats with 367 net yards compared to Graceland's 355.
 
Turnovers were the big key in the game as the Bobcats had three turnovers and Graceland finished the game with none.
 
Individual Statistics
 
Ludlow finished the game with 147 net yards rushing on 29 attempts and had two touchdowns.  Shepard added 99 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown rushing.
 
Shepard was four of 17 passing for 80 yards and suffered one interception.  Grobe was one of two for 30 yards – that coming on the fake punt pass to Bruss.
 
Grobe was the Bobcats' leading receiver with one catch for 55 yards.  Bruss, Twehous, Brandon Dinslage (Clarkson), and Shane Lloyd (Ridge Crest, Calif.) also had one reception.
 
Grobe had five punts averaging 38.6 yards with one touchback and one within the 20.
 
Paben and Campbell finished with 81 and 64 yards respectively on their kickoff returns.
 
Defensively, Bruss led the team with 14 total tackles – two of which were solo.  Adrian Lawson (Lincoln) and Zach Lempka (Sterling) each had nine tackles – two of which were solo.  Tony Traynor (Valley) finished with six tackles.  Contributing five tackles each were Ryan McClarty (Omaha), Campbell, Neil Bowman (Cedar Rapids), and Cody Piotrowski (Mihawka, Ind.). 

BOX SCORE
 
Player of the Game Comments
 
Grobe was selected as the KNCY Player of the Game for his play against the YellowJackets.  In discussing the fake punt, Grobe said, “We have had the fake punt call in our back pocket and just waiting to use it.  It worked great and I was just hoping Preston would take it all the way.  Preston said he knew what to do when he got the ball.”  Talking about the second half, Grobe added, “Both teams made adjustments after halftime, but we just did not finish it.”
 
Coach Schneider's Post-Game Comments
 
Bobcat head coach Steve Schneider was disappointed with the homecoming loss.  Schneider said, “Give Graceland credit as they came out with a good game plan.  We were sluggish defensively in the first half so that was a problem, but another key stat was that we lost the turnover battle having given up three.”
 
Schneider continued,  “We had a couple of penalties that were uncharacteristic for us, but we had some back-ups playing due to injuries and this caused confusion, which led to one of Graceland's touchdowns after having too many players on one of our punts.”
 
“Unfortunately we did not score on our fake punt as that could have changed the momentum.  But, we had some other uncharacteristic problems, but we will work on those so we can get better as a football team,” continued Schneider.
 
When asked about his team, Schneider stated, “The mood on the sideline was angst and hurt – it was a winnable ballgame, but we will have to learn from our mistakes, so we will have to work on those to get ready for Trinity Bible next week.  We were embarrassed up there last year.  It is a winnable game, but we have to play a full 60 minutes as we came out flat and did not play well in the first half.  We have to be mentally ready to play and today, we just did not come out of the gate like we have in the past.”
 
Upcoming Game
 
Next Saturday, the Bobcats will be at home again as they host Trinity Bible College from Ellendale, N.D.  Currently, the Lions are 2-3 and will be coming off a bye week.    Last year, Trinity Bible topped the Bobcats 30-6 on their home field.