LINCOLN, Neb. (Oct. 5, 2024) - Senior
Eman Alaniz had a pair of first half rushing touchdowns as the Buena Vista University football team built a 21-7 halftime lead at Nebraska Wesleyan, but the Prairie Wolves rallied in the second half with 27 unanswered points en route to a 34-21 victory over the Beavers.
BVU got a three-yard touchdown plunge from senior
Eman Alaniz for the game's first score midway through the first quarter before the Beavers doubled the advantage at 14-0 on a 31-yard touchdown reception by
Dolan Pospichal from senior quarterback
Zach Herrera on the first play of the second stanza.
NWU cut the lead in half midway through the second with a two-yard touchdown pass, but the Beavers closed the half strong and capped it with a three-yard touchdown burst from Alaniz with 11 seconds remaining.
The Prairie Wolves began to chip away with a touchdown pass early in the third quarter to make it 21-14 and then scored twice in the span of three minutes to begin the fourth quarter to jump in front for the first time. NWU got its ground game going in the second half. After only 35 yards rushing over the first 30 minutes, the Prairie Wolves finished the game with 242 yards and an average of 7.3 per carry.
Alaniz had 69 yards on 21 attempts as BVU finished with 88 net yards on the ground. Herrera completed 20-of-33 pass attempts for 157 yards and one score. Posphical finished with 45 yards on three receptions and the touchdown.
Johnny Dickerson chalked up a team-leading 50 yards on four catches, including a long of 19 yards.
Cashtin Craycraft matched Dickerson with four grabs and tallied 25 yards. Seven different receivers hauled in at least one catch for the Beavers who turned in 245 yards of total offense.
Defensively,
Austin Smith had a team-high and a career-high 13 tackles with
Troy Reynolds close behind at nine.
Matthew Beisswenger had three more pass breakups for a secondary which allowed only 147 yards through the air.
Buena Vista is now 1-4 overall (1-2 A-R-C) and hosts No. 13 Wartburg College next Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff inside of J. Leslie Rollins Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
