NORMAL, Ill. – A 31-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter by Sean Slattery lifted the Red Team to a 3-0 victory over the White Team Saturday in the annual Spring Showcase on a blustery and rainy day at Hancock Stadium.
The conditions slowed down both offenses in the contest, and allowed the defenses to shine in the hour-long scrimmage. The Red Team was comprised of the first-team offense and the second-team defense and the White Team was made up of the first-team defense and second-team offense.
The late Slattery field goal was set up off an interception by Normal West graduate Cole Bumpus, who dove in front of the intended receiver and gave the Red Team great field position. Four plays later, Slattery booted the field goal through the uprights with just over two minutes left in the game to seal the win.
A trick play on the final drive of the game for the White Team put them in the red zone in prime scoring position, but time ran out on the comeback. Running back Nick Kielbasa took the pitch from Winkler and handed the ball off to redshirt freshman receiver Matt Biegalski, who heaved the ball 53 yards down field to fellow redshirt freshman receiver Mitchell Brees. However, the three attempts at the end zone came up short, with Theo Hopkins breaking up the final pass attempt of the game as time expired.
A 65-yard run by redshirt freshman running back George Moreira gave the White Team and early spark, but a missed 41-yard field goal attempt into a stiff wind put an end to the early scoring threat. Moreira, who would carry the ball for both squads throughout the day, would go on to be the offensive star by rushing for 122 yards on 13 carries on the day. Fellow backs James Graham (10 carries, 43 yards) and Jamal Towns (3 carries, 22 yards) each ran well, as starter and All-American Marshaun Coprich was held out of the contest.
The inclement weather affected both team's passing attacks, as the Redbird quarterbacks struggled all day. Red Team starter Tre Roberson, who only saw action in the first half, did not complete a pass but was the victim of several dropped passes as receivers had a difficult time hauling in the slippery footballs. Jake Kolbe came on in relief and was 4-for-13 for 43 yards, while Blake Winkler handled the duties for the White Team and was 4-for-12 for 18 yards with the late interception to Bumpus.
As has been the case for the majority of spring workouts, the defenses dominated on the day. DraShane Glass led the way for the winning team with three tackles and Bumpus and Matt Swaine each added two, with Swaine also contributing a sack. Daejgeon Love also contributed a pair of stops and a sack and Nate Bond added a late sack to keep the shutout intact. Jalen Battle led the White Team defense with six total tackles and a half tackle-for-loss and Dean Helt added four stops. Josh Burch and Alejandro Rivera contributed three stops each, and Brent Spack, David Kenney and Teddy Corwin each added sacks in the defeat.
The Redbirds now switch their focus to finishing strong during final exams and to hard work over the summer, before returning for fall camp in August in preparation for the 2015 season opener at Iowa on Sept. 5. For behind-the-scenes Redbird football news, stats, photos and more throughout the offseason, log on to GoRedbirds.com and follow the program on Twitter at @RedbirdFB.
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