DUBUQUE, Iowa (Sept. 21, 2024) - The Buena Vista University football team went on the road to begin American Rivers Conference play this afternoon and used a balance offensive attack, while intercepting four passes on the other side, en route to a big 20-17 road win at Loras College inside of the Rock Bowl.

BVU finished with 118 yards rushing and added 166 more through the air, averaging nearly 4.4 yards per play. Senior Eman Alaniz carried the ball 24 times for a season-high 115 yards and one touchdown. Eight different receivers caught passes from senior quarterback Zach Herrera, who finished 20-of-28 for 166 yards and one touchdown. Freshman Blaine Peebles hauled in a team-high six catches for 51 yards, including bubble screen catch where he then scampered 42 yards down the middle of the field for what proved to be the eventual game-winner. Fullback Colton Brant had three catches for 42 yards, including a big 16-yard catch that helped set-up Peebles touchdown grab.

Four different players intercepted passes for the Beaver defense, including one by Drew Volkman at the Duhawk two-yard line. That change of possession led to a 10-play, 98-yard touchdown drive that was capped by Peebles' long catch-and-run that made it 20-10 with 4:19 left in the third quarter.

Loras received the ball to begin the game, but senior David Green intercepted the first pass for the BVU defense only 90 seconds into the game which led to the first of two Matthew Beisswenger field goals and gave the Beavers an early 3-0 lead.

The Duhawks took their ensuing kickoff and faced first-and-goal inside of the BVU 10-yard line, but the stingy Beaver defense held check and forced a field goal that tied the game at 3-3. Beisswenger put the blue and gold back up 6-3 in a 35-yard field goal with just under 90 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

On the second play from scrimmage on the next offensive series by Loras, it was Beisswenger stepping in to intercept a pass at the Duhawks 33-yard line. Following a 15-yard plunge two by Alaniz down to the 2, he would go ahead and take the handoff on the next play and reach the endzone to make it a two possession game at 13-3 early in the second quarter. Loras added its first touchdown of the game with six minutes left in the second quarter that led to a 13-10 game at halftime.

Peebles' touchdown was the game's only score of the third quarter.  BVU dominated the time of possession in the frame with its run game, as the Duhawks had the ball for only three minutes in the quarter.

Loras threatened late in the game by pulling within 20-17 with six minutes remaining. BVU tried to put the game away but would be forced to punt the ball back to the Duhawks with a little under three minutes to play. The Beaver defense rose to the occasion yet again, aided by a key sack by Anthony Domingue for a loss of 11 yards that set-up third and long. Loras then had an illegal forward pass on the next play and was forced into a 4th-and-23 from its own 38. A pass fell incomplete on the next play, and the Beavers took over and took one kneel-down to run out the clock.

Troy Reynolds had a team-high 11 tackles for BVU, Nick Moorshead had seven and Alex Abens and Keaton Bindel chipping in with six. The unit held Loras to 9s yards rushing and 167 yards through the air. The win snapped a six-game losing streak to the Duhawks with BVU's last win in the series coming back in 2016 inside of the Rock Bowl (34-24).

Buena Vista improves to 1-2 overall (1-0 A-R-C) and hosts Central College next Saturday, Sept. 28, from Homecoming / Hall of Fame. Kickoff inside of J. Leslie Rollins Stadium is set for 1 p.m.