September 6, 2008

Omaha Uses Big Plays to Defeat Football, 49-21

Dring First Loper True Freshman to Reach End Zone Since '95

     Kearney, Neb. –  The 7^th-ranked Nebraska-Omaha football forced five turnovers, and had four big offensive plays, to beat Nebraska-Kearney, 49-21, Saturday night at Al Caniglia Field in Omaha.

     UNO (1-0) has now won 13 of the last 14 meetings with the Lopers (0-2) to lead the all-time series, 28-7. The Mavericks also keep the “Victory Bell” for a sixth straight season.

      A veteran defense kept the Lopers in the game for a half as UNO managed just a 7-0 half time lead. UNO senior quarterback Zach Miller capped an 11 play, 79-yard drive late in the second quarter with an 11-yard scoring run.

     UNK, rotating redshirt freshman quarterbacks Bobby Adamson (Byers, Colo.) and Jake Spitzlberger (Lakewood, Colo.), had five offensive possessions in the first half. They resulted in four punts and a lost fumble at the UNO 43-yard line. The Lopers also fumbled on their second and third drives but managed to recover them.

       Kearney did go deep in the play book early in the second quarter as senior kicker/punter Geoff Carnahan (Kearney) threw a 15-yard pass to junior safety Jake Mandelko (Lexington) on 4^th and 1 from the Loper 29-yard line. This drive would continue as Adamson threw a 17-yard pass to junior Wyatt Barstow (Springview).

       However, UNO’s Zach Keller forced a fumble two plays later and the Mavs recovered the ball inside their territory.

      Omaha started the second half in a big way as Miller threw a 66-yard pass to receiver Keith Eloi that moved the ball to the UNK one yard line. On the play, Eloi collided with Loper corner Mike Neal (Brentwood, Calif.), who almost had his first pick of the season.

       Running back Brian McNeill capped the short drive with his first score of 2008. On the Mavs next possession, Miller scored from 51 yards out on a 3^rd and three from the Omaha 49-yard line.

      The big plays kept coming for the home team as, on UNO’s next offensive play, Miller threw a 57-yard pass to Mike Higgins to quickly make it 28-0 Mavericks.

       Spitzlberger, playing pretty much the last 2 ½ quarters, would then be picked off by UNO corner Reed Taylor soon after. Taylor would bring the ball back to the Loper 29-yard line and that setup a two yard TD run from Josh McArdle.

      McNeill (18 carries, 96 yards) then capped the 35 point third quarter when he, on 3^rd and three, he scored from 52 yards out.

      True freshman running back Rustin Dring (Kearney) got UNK on the score board early in the fourth when he scored from one yard out. The eight play 66-yard drive featured seven straight runs by the former Kearney High standout.

      Spitzlberger started the drive with a 44-yard pass to sophomore receiver Kyle Kaiser (five catches, 144 yards).

      A graduate of Bear Creek High School, Spitlzberger then threw passes of 18 yards (to Brandon Dondlinger) and 40 yards (to Kaiser) on the Lopers next drive to move the ball down the field. Four runs by Dring, totaling 34 yards, were also included in the 92-yard march.

       Dring finished things off once again with a 10-yard scamper. He becomes the first UNK true freshmen to score in a game since running back Mike Lodice scored five TD’s in a November 1995 game at Colorado School of Mines.

        Lodice (Littleton, Colo.) was brought out of redshirt that fall and finished the season with 912 yards and 11 TD’s.  

       UNK’s final score of the night came after another long pass to Kaiser (22 yards). The 34-yard drive ended when Spitlzberger scored on a QB sneak.

      UNO finished the game with 466 yards of offense (254 rushing, 212 passing) with the Lopers at 381 yards. Miller accounted for most of the Mavs offense as he had 120 yards rushing and went 5 of 8 through the air for 175 yards.

      For UNK, Spitzlberger was 8 of 15 for 178 yards and three interceptions. He also ran nine times for 21 yards. Dring carried the ball 17 times for 82 yards with fellow back Brendan Liess (McCook) having 12 totes for 45 yards.

       On special teams, Mandelko had four kick returns for 118 yards, including a long return of 60 yards. He had a 72 yard return in the season opener vs. Wayne State.

        Defensively, senior linebacker Charlie Rudeen (Overton) had a team-high nine tackles with Mandelko making seven.

        UNK is at Western State next weekend. Pictured below are Dring-Mandelko-Kaiser.