Box Score VALPARAISO, Ind. – Junior running back Ose Imeokparia ran for a career-high 119 yards and three touchdowns as Sacred Heart romped past the Valparaiso Crusaders 56-3 at Brown Field.
The 53-point margin of victory is the largest for the Pioneers since beating Saint Francis U 54-0 on November 10, 2001. Nate Chavious ran the ball 10 times for 97 yards and had three receptions for 59 yards. RJ Noel was 22-of-34 passing for 272 yards and a touchdown. Sacred Heart (2-0) had 526 yards of total offense and held Valparaiso (0-2) to 273 yards. Defensively, the Pioneers forced five turnovers with Connor Caveney recording the first two interceptions of his career.
The Pioneers take on another Pioneer Football League opponent on Sept. 19 when Sacred Heart travels to Marist. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
FIRST QUARTER
- 10:14 to play – 7-0 SHU; After a Valpo three-and-out to open the game, Noel found Jackson King for a 33-yard reception on the Pioneers' first play from scrimmage. Imeokparia capped a nine-play, 77-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run.
- 6:39 to play – 14-0 SHU; Imeokparia scores his second touchdown after Caveney's first interception deep in Pioneer territory.
SECOND QUARTER
- 13:00 to play – 21-0 SHU; The Crusaders missed a field goal, leading to a six-play, 72-yard that Noel capped with a five-yard touchdown run.
- 8:35 to play – 28-0 SHU; Noel connects for a 12-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Dube.
- 5:45 to play – 35-0 SHU; Imeokparia scores his third rushing touchdown after the Pioneers forced a recovered a Crusader fumble.
THIRD QUARTER
- 0:37 to play – 42-0 SHU; Chavious scores from two yards out to cap an 11-play scoring drive.
FOURTH QUARTER
- 12:09 to play – 42-3 SHU: Valpo gets on the board with a 39-yard field goal.
- 10:59 to play – 49-3 SHU; A 58-yard kick return by Andrew O'Neill put the Pioneers in Valparaiso territory. Chavious had a 28-yard run, fumbled at the three yardline, and recovered the ball for a touchdown.
- 3:42 to play – 56-3 SHU; Ben Castellano scoops a Valpo fumble and runs eight yards for a touchdown.
NOTES
- RJ Noel surpassed the 5,000 career passing yards mark Saturday, and also had his 400th career completion.
- Both Imeokparia and Chavious set career-highs in rushing yards and touchdowns Saturday.
- The Pioneers scored 21 points off five Valpo turnovers. It was the first time Sacred Heart forced five turnovers in a game since Oct. 19, 2013 in a 56-28 win at Bryant.
- Saturday marked Sacred Heart's first game in the central time zone and the farthest west the Pioneers have travelled for a football game.
