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Sacred Heart Upends Duquesne, 31-15, To Capture ECAC Bowl And Cap Undefeated Season
Pittsburgh (AP) -- Most Valuable Player Justin Holtfreter threw two touchdown passes to Marvin Royal and Sacred Heart's defense returned two turnovers for scores in beating Duquesne 31-15 Saturday in the ECAC Bowl. The ECAC Bowl was resurrected after a three-year hiatus and pits the NEC and MAAC regular season champions. The NEC has won the last three bowl games and holds a 4-2 edge in the series.
Sacred Heart becomes the second team in NEC history to finish a season with a perfect record (Robert Morris went 10-0 in 2000) and concludes the season ranked #1 in both the Sports Network and Don Hansen Gazette I-AA Mid-Major polls. Under the tutelege of head coach Jim Fleming, the Pioneers have posted a 21-1 record since his arrival last season.
Tim Redican scored the first quarter's only points on a 38-yard field goal. Holtfreter hit Royal with an 8-yard pass and Brian Pawlowski returned an interception of pass by Niel Loebig 69 yards for a score in the second quarter. It was the first of two key turnovers by Loebig that helped Sacred Heart (11-0) to a 17-0 halftime lead.
Loebig finished 14 of 28 for 196 yards and helped Duquesne (8-3) make a game of it in the third quarter, hitting Jeremy Conley on scoring passes of 25 and 7 yards. Duquesne was also awarded a team safety when a Sacred Heart punt snap flew out of the end zone, and the third quarter ended 17-15.
Neither team scored again until Holtfreter, who finished the season with 2,565 yards passing, threw his 25th touchdown pass, a 2-yarder to Royal with 2:53 left in the game following a Pioneer fumble recovery on the Dukes' one-yard line.
Loebig was sacked and fumbled on the Dukes' next possession and Odain Mitchell returned the miscue 35 yards for the game's final score. |