October 25, 2003

Football Routs Fort Lewis

No Record for Webb

            Kearney, NE – The Nebraska-Kearney football team scored five touchdowns on its first five possessions of the second half and the Loper defense denied Fort Lewis quarterback Andrew Webb of NCAA history as the Lopers routed the Skyhawks, 59-12, Saturday afternoon at Foster Field. UNK improves to 5-3 (4-2 RMAC) while FLC falls to 1-7 (1-5 RMAC).

            Webb, a senior from Boise, Idaho, came into today’s game 317 yards shy of breaking Justin Coleman’s Division II career passing record of 11,213 yards. Webb was 11 of 30 for 137 yards in the first half but threw for just 23 yards in the second half to end the game 15 of 37 for 160 yards, one TD and three interceptions. He also was sacked five times by the Loper defense.

            The Lopers averaged 7.4 yards per play and finished with 566 yards of offense, nearly 340 yards more than FLC. UNK had over 500 yards of offense last Saturday vs. Cahdron State.

            Senior QB Pat Korth was 21 of 29 for 349 yards, four TD’s, no INT’s and, for good measure, a career long run of 20 yards. It marked the Hastings’ native second career four TD game. He is closing in on Mike Muma’s season completion record of 190, set in 2001. Korth now has completed 161 passes this year.

            Lincoln sophomore Richie Ross caught eight balls for 163 yards and two scores and became just the fourth Loper to go over 2,000 receiving yards in a career. In 19 games at UNK, Ross has made 108 catches for 2,125 yards and 18 TD’s. He’ll need 17 yards next week to become the only Loper to have more than one season of 1,000 receiving yards.

            The UNK ground game was also impressive, churning out 212 yards on 43 carries. Junior Mike Miller ran 24 times for 126 yards and one TD while freshman Kevin Partch had five carries for 30 yards and scored the team’s last two TD’s.

            The Lopers quickly jumped out to a 14-0 lead as Korth hooked up with Ross from 76 yards out on the team’s first offensive play. UNK also scored a TD on its second possession of the contest. The 53-yard drive ended with a 14-yard TD strike from Korth to junior Darnell Wood. 

            However, some Loper miscues allowed FLC to get back into the game. UNK caught a punt on its own one-yard line and that led to a safety. Following the free kick, FLC drove 48 yards in five plays to cut the lead to five. FLC then added a 31-yard field goal late in the second to make it just a two point Loper lead.

            But, UNK took control of the game by scoring 10 points in the last 2:51 of the second quarter. The blue and gold then scored five straight TD’s in the second half with their sixth and final possession of the period ending deep in Skyhawk territory.

            Defensively, junior LB Jered Butts led the team with eight tackles, including three for loss. Fellow junior LB Akil Davis had seven tackles and two TFL while junior DE Todd Guenther had two sacks.

            UNK is at Fort Hays State next Saturday afternoon.