OAKLAND CITY, Ind.—The Bellarmine University sprint football team got its 2023 off to a rousing start by blowing past the Oakland City Mighty Oaks with a fourth quarter rally to post a 43-23 win in the season opener for both teams in a Midwest Sprint Football League game played at Wood Memorial High School.
 
Bellarmine had led for the entirety of the game, but after OCU's Tyler Young scooped up a BU fumble and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown with 10:14 remaining in the game, the ensuing extra point gave the Mighty Oaks their first lead of the game at 23-22. 
 
However, the Knights responded in a big way, reeling off 21 unanswered points to win going away. 
 
Picking up where he left off last season, BU running back Brenden Reid turned in a monster performance.  The 2022 MSFL offensive most valuable player made an immediate case for a repeat of the honor as the Jonesborough, Tennessee native equaled his own school record with 232 rushing yards and set a new school record with four rushing touchdowns against the Mighty Oaks.
 
Reid scored on runs of four, 62, 39 and 12 yards finished the game with 31 rushing attempts for a per carry average of 7.5 yards.  He also scored on a 2-point conversion.
 
With Reid carrying most of the load, the Knights' ground game overpowered the Mighty Oaks, who did most their damage through the air.  Bellarmine ran the ball 58 times for 321 yards while gaining just six net yards on 8-for-14 passing from quarterback Luke Worley.  In contrast, the Mighty Oaks had 38 passing attempts, connecting on 12 for 192 yards.  Oakland City ran the ball just 16 times for 155 yards, with 59 of those yards coming on a Jacob Lee touchdown run.
 
In addition to Reid's strong performance, BU's Derrik Gant made an impressive Bellarmine debut, carrying the ball nine times for 67 yards and two touchdowns.  Rick Langarica also posted solid running numbers in his first game as a Knight with six carries for 25 yards.
 
Defensively, Luke Jackson and Jordan Haywood were each credited with two sacks while four Knights picked off passes.  With interceptions for Bellarmine were Caleb Murray, Lance Weiter, Vernon Duncan and Allan Ho.
 
The Knights drew first blood in the contest when Reid's 4-yard TD run with 20 seconds remaining in the first quarter capped a 15-play, 70-yard drive that chewed up 7:34 on the clock. 
 
Bellarmine extended its lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter when Reid got loose for a 62-yard touchdown scamper.  However, the Mighty Oaks trimmed the deficit to 14-8 after Lee's long touchdown run and a successful two-point conversion. 
 
The Knights concluded the first half's scoring with a 5-play drive that culminated in Reid's 39-yard run. Caleb Murray's run on the conversion gave the Knights a 22-8 lead at the half.
 
Bellarmine received the kickoff to open the third period and proceeded to eat up the bulk of the quarter on a drive that lasted 8:25 but bogged down at the Oakland City 12-yard line, where the Knights turned it over on downs.  Oakland City then grabbed the momentum by first converting on a third and long situation and eventually finishing the 88-yard drive on a strange play in which the Mighty Oaks completed a pass then fumbled, but recovered the ball and ran it in for the score.
 
After four consecutive punts, two by each team, the Mighty Oaks saw the tide turn in their favor again with Young's fumble recovery and return for a touchdown.
 
However, Bellarmine responded to the challenge with a six-play drive that ended on Gant's 14-yard touchdown run.  Then, the Bellarmine defense took over.  The Knights came up with two interceptions to set up short touchdown drives to ice the game.
 
Bellarmine makes its home debut in one week, hosting Calumet College at 6 p.m. at St. Xavier High School.
 
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