Peru State College Athletics

(Oskaloosa, Iowa)- The Peru State College football team suffered a 21-7 loss on the road to Heart of America Athletic Conference member William Penn on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Bobcats would fall to 3-6 overall on the season and 3-3 in Conference play while the Statesmen would rise to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the Conference mark.
 
Peru State would start the game with possession and after a first down on the opening drive, a six-yard gain on third and nine would see the Bobcats punt the ball to the home 24-yard marker. The Statesmen would take possession and execute a five-play, 78-yard drive that was capped off by a 25-yard rushing score and a successful point after would bring the score to 7-0 with 10:48 remaining in the first quarter. Peru State would take the following drive and push as far as their own 38-yard line until an incompletion on third and six would force a punt to the William Penn 34.
 
The Statesmen would march 66-yards over eight plays on the ensuing drive where a 26-yard pass would reach the endzone and the following kick would split the uprights to extend the William Penn advantage to 14-0 with 5:18 remaining. The Bobcats took their next possession and after a penalty and seven yards on the following two plays would have Peru State see third and 18 from their own 42, a 38-yard strike to Bryant Thomas (Hinesville, Georgia / Bradwell Institute High School) brought the ball into the Statesman redzone. An incompletion on third and 10 would see the Bobcats elect to go for it where CJ Dixon (Loganville, Georgia / Grayson High School) would find Blake Durham (Birmingham, Alabama / Pike Road High School) on a 20-yard completion for a Peru State touchdown, the point after attempt by Brenden Bartholomew (Andalusia, Alabama / Straughn High School) would be good to make the score 14-7 with 2:22 in the first.
 
The next drive from the William Penn offense would be an 11-play, 67-yard trudge that would go into the second quarter, and facing third and eight in the Bobcat redzone, an 18-yard pass would reach the endzone and a following PAT would split the uprights to make the score 21-7 with 12:29 remaining in the second. Peru State would take the next possession and find three first downs while Chandler Cotton (Omaha, Nebraska / Papillion LaVista South High School) would take six carries for 32 yards until after an incompletion would have the Bobcats face fourth and 13 at the home 36-yard mark, a 12-yard rush from Dixon would fall just short and give the Statemen the ball at their own 24.
 
William Penn would march eight plays and 64-yards into the Peru State redzone and after a five-yard rush would have the Statesmen reach first and goal at the nine-yard line, a seven-yard charge would be halted as Devon Byrd (West Palm Beach, Florida / Cardinal Newman High School) would force a fumble on the two, but a Statesmen would fall on it to see second and goal, a loss of one followed by a two-yard rush would have William Penn see fourth and goal on the Bobcat's one-yard marker, but A'Tev Coger (Warner Robins, Georgia / Northside High School) and Jeremy Porter (Laurel, Mississippi / Laurel High School) would gang up to stop the Statesmen rusher for no gain and the offense would regain possession at their own one-yard line where a rush to the five would take the game into the half 21-7.
 
Good kickoff coverage from Peru State would have William Penn take the opening drive of the second half at their own 15-yard line, where the Statesmen would push as far as the Bobcat 37 before a loss of 16 yards would stall the drive from the home team as they would be forced to punt. Peru State would take their first drive of the second half from their own five-yard line with 7:33 remaining in the third and march 14 plays and 86-yards in a drive that would roll into the fourth quarter, the Bobcats would go for it on fourth and three at the William Penn 11-yard marker before the Statesmen would force a fumble then recover it, darting 39-yards before being downed at their own 48 with 14:43 remaining.
 
William Penn would take a rush to the Peru State 12 before a long pass would be intercepted by Cadariyus Love (Andalusia, Alabama / Andalusia High School) at the Bobcat five-yard line, the ensuing drive would go as far as the visitor 20-yard marker before a loss of two followed by an incompletion would force a punt to the Statesmen 49-yard marker. William Penn would take over and use three first downs to push into the Peru State redzone until a pass breakup from Ja-Quez Oliver (Ocala, Florida / Langston Hughes High School) would have the home team settle for a 33-yard field goal, the kick would go wide right to keep the score at 21-7 with 6:35 left in the game.
 
The next drive from the Bobcats would earn two first downs before three incompletions and a penalty would see fourth and 15 where fumble would be recovered by the Statesmen where they would take over at their own 48 with 5:29 remaining, where they would convert two first downs to run out the clock and earn the victory 21-7.
 
Dixon would lead the Peru State passing efforts with 14 completions for 143 yards and a touchdown while Cotton would pace the rushing attack with 18 carries for 69 yards, Dixon would also take five carries for 40 rushing yards. Thomas would haul in five catches for 86 yards while Durham would make 2 receptions for 37 yards and a receiving touchdown.
 
Porter would spearhead the defense with nine total tackles with seven solo stops while Oliver would total eight tackles with four solo, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Tyrell McMillan (Mount Pleasant, Florida / Sneads High School) saw six tackles with five solo and a tackle for loss and Love would record two stops and the teams only interception.
 
The Bobcats are back at home for Senior Day on Saturday, November 14^th against Culver-Stockton at 1:00 PM in the Oak Bowl.