CALEDONIA, Mich. — Davenport football defeated Truman State 28-14 on Saturday at Pappas Stadium, improving to 2-0 while Truman State fell to 0-2. Davenport capped a 10-play, 76-yard fourth-quarter drive with a touchdown, moving the score from 21-14 to 28-14 with 7:05 remaining in what was a great statement drive. Davenport finished with 253 rushing yards and held the ball for 36:56, while its defense intercepted two passes.
Davenport and Truman State finished the first quarter tied 7-7, with Davenport's points coming on
Landon Tungate's 34-yard touchdown pass to
Mac VandenHout on a trick play. The Bulldogs converted 3-of-3 third downs compared with Davenport's 1-of-4 and totaled 41 rushing yards and 54 passing yards, while Davenport had 25 rushing yards and 39 through the air.
Christian Cramer's interception at the Davenport 13 with 1:06 left ended Truman State's final possession of the quarter.
Davenport leaned on its ground game in the second quarter, rushing for 106 yards, producing eight first downs and converting all three third-down attempts while Truman State went 0-for-3 on third down. Tungate's 2-yard touchdown run and
Ian Jenkins' PAT supplied the quarter's only points, and Davenport carried a 14-7 lead into halftime after TSU missed a 30-yard field goal on its lone red-zone trip.
Davenport outscored Truman St. 7-0 in the third quarter, finishing a 12-play, 83-yard drive with
Cephus Harris' 1-yard rushing touchdown and Jenkins' extra point to move the score to 21-7. Davenport rushed for 63 yards, went 2-for-3 on third down and held the ball for 8:18, while Truman State had 61 passing yards but went 0-for-2 on third down and punted twice.
The Panthers and Bulldogs each scored seven points in the fourth quarter, but Davenport held the ball for 10:54 and finished the quarter with six first downs to the visitors' three. After Truman State made it 21-14 on Dylan Hair's 20-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Ryan, Davenport answered with a 10-play, 76-yard drive capped by
Cephus Harris' 1-yard touchdown run to make it 28-14.
Caleb Aungst added a 28-yard interception return with 1:51 left, helping Davenport close out the 28-14 win.
Cephus Harris rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries and added three catches for 60 yards.
Jonathan Palmer completed 11-of-14 passes for 112 yards and ran 16 times for 97 yards. Tungate rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown on eight carries and completed his only pass for a 34-yard touchdown. Cramer finished with seven tackles, half a sack and an interception, returning it 16 yards.
Latrell Scott led the defense with 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Aungst recorded seven tackles and had the game-sealing interception.
Up next, Davenport football team hosts No. 9 Indianapolis at noon Saturday, Sept. 12, in Caledonia, Mich.
