Peru State College Athletics

(Davenport, Iowa.)- The Peru State College football team would score in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter to take the lead with 32 seconds remaining but could not hold on as St. Ambrose would find the endzone with four seconds remaining to steal the victory 41-38.
 
The loss drops the Bobcats to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play while the Bees of St. Ambrose rises to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in Conference action.
 
St. Ambrose would draw first blood to open the game with help from a drive-opening 40-yard pass then facing 3^rd and goal, the Bee's would find a 6-yard touchdown pass and a good kick would cap off the opening drive 7-0. Peru State needed less than a minute to respond as CJ Dixon (Loganville, Georgia. / Grayson High School) would fire a 49-yard touchdown strike to Jazir Francois (New City, New York. Saint Joseph Regional High School) and the kick after would even the slate at 7-7, After a St. Ambrose three and out the Bobcats would march into the opposing redzone until a Peru State fumble on 4^th and three would stall the drive. After forcing a punt, the Bobcats would fumble on the return and give possession back to the Bee's until A'Tev Coger (Warner Robins, Georgia. / Northside High School) ripped the ball loose one play later on a strip sack to give the possession back to Peru State, The Bobcats would proceed to drive 72-yards in four plays which was highlighted by a 19-yard touchdown reception by Blake Durham (Birmingham, Alabama. / Pike Road High School) and the good PAT would hand Peru State a seven-point advantage (14-7).
 
St. Ambrose continued to fight as they would march with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that went into the second quarter and ended with an 11-yard touchdown rush, after a good kick to make the score knotted at 14-14, the Bee's would fall on a surprise onside to retain the possession but after driving into Bobcat territory, the defense would hold strong as an incomplete pass on 4^th and eight would give the ball to Peru State. The Bobcats would then take the ball 69-yards in 10 plays to let John Holcombe II (Houston, Texas. / Summer Creek High School) punch it in from three-yards out and the following kick would split the uprights to reclaim the lead at 21-14. St. Ambrose would not back down as they would take the following possession 65-yards in nine plays then cap off the series with a five-yard rushing score, the extra point would even the game at 21-21. Peru State would get one more chance in the first half with 2:59 remaining and would attempt a field goal at the opposing 29-yard line, but the kick would fall short and the Bobcats would go into the locker room tied 21-21.
 
Peru State would push the ball into enemy territory to open the second half, but an incompletion on 4^th and 3 would give possession to the Bees at their own 35, St. Ambrose would waste no time and score off a six-play 65-yard drive, but a blocked point after by Stanley Whipple (Lake Wales, Florida. / Frostproof High School) would keep the lead at six (27-21). The following possession for the Bobcats would see a thrown interception, but a fumble on the St. Ambrose return would see a Peru State player fall on it and possession retained with the Bobcats. Dixon would proceed to slot in passes of 13, 18 and 21-yards on the drive with the 21-yard strike to Ahmad Bacon Jr. (Tampa, Florida. / Jefferson High School) ending in the endzone while a good kick after would earn the Bobcats a one-point advantage 28-27.
 
The Peru State defense would force another three and out to hand possession back to the offense who would drive 70-yards over 10 plays and into the fourth quarter as Brenden Bartholomew (Andalusia, Alabama. / Straughn High School) would drill in a field goal from 20-yards out to extend the lead to four (31-27). Both teams would stall out on their next possessions and after a punt set up St. Ambrose possession at their own 28, a 72-yard touchdown pass would break loose and the kick after would hand the Bee's the lead at 34-31 with 1:33 remaining.
 
The Bobcats would begin the drive at their own 25-yard line and after completions of 19 and 26 yards would put Peru State at the St. Ambrose 30, Dixon would find Bacon Jr. one last time on a 30-yard completion into the endzone for a touchdown and the kick after would be good to make the score 38-34 with 32 seconds remaining. The kickoff would go out of bounds to set up St. Ambrose on the Bobcat 47-yard line and after two completions and a penalty the Bee's would be on the Peru State 12 with nine seconds left where St. Ambrose would find a receiver in the endzone and the PAT try after would be good to make the score 41-38 with four seconds left. Dixon would get one shot for a hail mary, but the pass would fall incomplete as St. Ambrose would steal the win 41-38.
 
Offensively Dixon Shined with a season-best 28 completions for 501 yards and four touchdowns, Chandler Cotton (Omaha, Nebraska. / Papillion LaVista South High School) totaled 18 carries for 61 yards while Holcombe II marked seven carries for six yards and a touchdown. Bacon Jr. led the receiving efforts with six receptions for 137 yards and two scores while Bryant Thomas (Hinesville, Georgia. / Bradwell Institute High School) hauled in six passes for 128 yards, Francois caught five passes with 102 yards.
 
Tyrell McMillan (Mount Pleasant, Florida. / Sneads High School) led the defense with nine total tackles and seven solo while marking 2.5 Tackles for Loss and Coger shined on the defensive line with five total tackles, three TFL's, two sacks and a forced fumble.
 
Peru State will be on a bye week and will be back in action on October 17^th where the Bobcats will be taking on Mount Mercy at the Oak Bowl at 2:00 PM.