The College of DuPage football team put its winning streak on the line Saturday, Sept. 13, hosting Hocking College. The No. 1-ranked Chaps, now 4-0 on the season, defeated the Hawks 50-33.
DuPage opened the scoring in the first quarter when quarterback
Askia Bullie hit pay dirt on a rush from 14 yards out. Bullie struck again on a 10-yard scamper with seven minutes remaining in the opening period to put DuPage up 13-0.
After Hocking College punched in a 2-yard touchdown shortly after,
Cole Hamilton scooped up a blocked PAT and returned it 106 yards on an incredible hustle play that saw him break numerous tackles.
The Chaps drove into field-goal range on their ensuing possession, and kicker
Danny Duray drilled it from 44 yards out. Duray converted another 42-yarder early in the second quarter to go 2-for-2 on the day.
The Chaps put their trust in veteran quarterback
Justin Bland to continue their scoring efforts, and the move paid off. With 1:56 remaining in the first half, Bland hit running back
AJ Moore in the flat for a 5-yard touchdown reception. Later, it was Anthony DiGio who powered his way in for a 1-yard rush.
DuPage added two more touchdowns in the second half as they continued to pull away from the Hawks. Bullie notched another rushing touchdown from 11 yards out, and Bland added his second touchdown pass of the day, hitting
James Penley for a 10 yard score.
The rushing attack for the Chaps was on point. The offensive line combination of
Ramiro Valdivia,
Gabe Rosen,
Brandon Madl,
Nick Cairo, and
Jose Manning catapulted DuPage's rushers to 233 yards for 7.2 yards per carry.
Defensively, it was a party in the backfield for the Chaps. A steady dose of pressure led to 5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.
William Sierra led the effort with two 2 TFLs. Sierra and Hamilton paced DuPage with nine tackles apiece.
Head Coach Matt Rahn was pleased with his team's performance, stating, "I'm proud of how the kids played. They played with high intensity the entire game; we just need to be more efficient." Rahn also credited Hocking for being a much-improved squad.
COD will hit the road for its next match up on Saturday, Sept. 20, against Monroe University in New Rochelle, N.Y.
