SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College displayed an explosive passing attack and scored twice in the fourth quarter but fell 38-28 to Lawrence Tech in its NAIA football debut Saturday at Blue Devils Stadium.
Quarterback
Caden Gordon completed 14 of 26 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
Caelen Bell led the receiving corps with five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, while
Corbyn Cleveland,
Joshua Murray and
Derron Hazzard also found the end zone for the Pomeroys.
After Lawrence Tech opened the scoring with a 35-yard field goal, SMWC needed just two plays to take its first lead as Gordon connected with Bell for a 72-yard touchdown.
Connor Wardlaw's extra point put the Pomeroys ahead 7-3 with 10:20 remaining in the first quarter.
The Blue Devils answered with a 60-yard touchdown pass, but SMWC responded immediately. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Gordon found Cleveland for an 80-yard score to give the Pomeroys a 14-10 advantage.
Lawrence Tech regained the lead with a 66-yard touchdown pass and added an 11-yard rushing score in the second quarter to carry a 24-14 advantage into halftime.
The Blue Devils extended their lead to 38-14 during the third quarter, capitalizing on an SMWC fumble with an 11-yard touchdown pass before completing a 77-yard scoring drive later in the period.
SMWC continued to battle and shut out Lawrence Tech in the fourth quarter. Gordon connected with Murray for a 43-yard touchdown with 11:26 remaining, cutting the deficit to 38-21.
The Pomeroys then put together their longest sustained drive of the afternoon, marching 83 yards in 13 plays. Hazzard finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run with 1:50 remaining to produce the final margin.
SMWC finished with 382 yards of total offense and averaged 8 yards per play. The Pomeroys recorded 337 yards through the air and converted all four of their extra-point attempts.
Bell's 107 receiving yards led SMWC, while Cleveland finished with 91 yards on two receptions.
Kaden Matzke added three catches for 52 yards, Murray had a 43-yard touchdown reception and
Ethan Shird contributed two catches for 42 yards.
Defensively,
Adonimi Parker and
Holtman Doades led the Pomeroys with seven tackles apiece.
Karver Queen recorded six stops, while
Treva Branch-Lewis and
Hezron Kincey each registered a sack. Doades also averaged 43.7 yards on three punts and placed two inside the Lawrence Tech 20-yard line.
Lawrence Tech accumulated 474 yards and converted 11 of 15 third-down opportunities. Ryan Schuster completed 21 of 30 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns for the Blue Devils.
Up Next
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods continues its season Saturday, Sept. 12, with a 6 p.m. road game against Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind.
