Crusader football team comes up empty in Carlson's debut

MACOMB, Ill. | Matched up against a scholarship program on the road and in the rain, the deck wasn't stacked in Valparaiso's favor Thursday night.

The Crusaders struggled to get into any kind of offensive rhythm as Western Illinois ran away with a 45-0 victory in Dale Carlson's first game as Valparaiso's head coach.

The Crusaders gained just 2 yards in the third quarter and were limited to 131 total yards while surrendering 569 yards to the Leathernecks.

"When you're playing a game like this when you're the underdog, we have to play each play with consistency, and we failed to do that tonight," Carlson said. "We lacked the consistency, and we have to block the score out. This was a learning spot."

Valparaiso turned the ball over three times, including a crucial fumble at the end of the first half that allowed Western Illinois to open up a 17-0 halftime lead.

"There are going to be five or six plays during the course of a game that you have to make, and we didn't make them," Carlson said. "We have to learn how to overcome those things."

Merrillville product Adrian Gober started at corner for the Crusaders, and the fifth-year senior had seven tackles, while LaPorte native Matt Heinen added nine tackles and a pass breakup against the fully-funded Leathernecks.

"Who cares about a level playing field. We're here to play football," Gober said. "We have to come back next week and get this taste out of our mouths."

Nate Goergen was 13-of-24 for 81 yards at quarterback before giving way to Matt Upshaw, who completed two of his three passes for 1 yard. Isaac Wildermuth led the Crusaders with 32 rushing yards, with the bulk coming against the Western Illinois second-string defense.

"We told the guys after the game that the scoreboard didn't matter. We're just looking to get better," Carlson said. "We did some things; we had them off-balance in the first half, and we have to keep building on that part of it."

The game against the Leathernecks is the only time the Crusaders will play a FCS scholarship team this season. Valparaiso will travel to Franklin next Saturday before opening at Brown Field against St. Joseph's on Sept. 18.

"It's not even about the scholarships," Gober said. "It will be nice to get this one behind us and to start concentrating on our next game."