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Ke'von Johnson Rushes for 225 Yards in the Lakers 34-17 Victory Over Saint Xavier
Posted: Feb 22, 2021

Ke'von Johnson Rushes for 225 Yards in the Lakers 34-17 Victory Over Saint Xavier

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Roosevelt University football team moved its record to a perfect 2-0 with a 34-17 non-conference victory over Saint Xavier University on Sunday, Feb. 21 at a snowy Morris Field in Arlington Heights, Ill.

The Lakers controlled the game by keeping the ball on the ground and handing the ball off 40 times to All-American running back Ke'von Johnson (JR/Joliet, Ill.), who rushed for 225 yards and had both a rushing and receiving score. Johnson opened the scoring with a 12-yard TD scamper to give the Lakers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The Cougars were able to add a first quarter field goal, but Roosevelt scored the only other points in the second half on a 16-yard pass from quarterback Jack Sheehan (SR/St. Petersburg, Fla.) to Denzel Tolliver (SR/Bellwood, Ill.) for a 14-3 half-time advantage.

The second half saw the snow start to come down and the Lakers increased their lead to 21-3 with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter when Sheehan connected with Tolliver on a 14-yard touchdown pass that was almost a replay of their scoring play earlier in the game. However, the Cougars answered right back with a touchdown of their own with Stuart Ross hitting Vance McShane on a 53-yard score to make it a 21-10 game.

The snow picked up in the fourth quarter and covered the field, but the Lakers were able to move the ball and increase their lead to 27-10 when Sheehan combined with Johnson on an 18-yard touchdown toss. Saint Xavier added a late score on a 15-yard run by Stuart Ross to cut the margin to 27-17 with 1:09 left to play and attempted an on-side kick, but the Lakers hands team came through and recovered the ball. The RU offense was held to a three-and-out, but then the defense ended the game with an exclamation mark as Myles Davis (SO/Skokie, Ill.) intercepted Ross' pass and returned it 65 yards for paydirt and the 34-17 final score.


GAME DETAILS

Score: Saint Xavier 3 0 7 7 17
Roosevelt 7 7 7 13 34

Records: Roosevelt 2-0 // Saint Xavier 1-1

Location: Morris Field | Arlington Heights, Ill.


OFFENSIVE NUMBERS

  • Ke'von Johnson rushed for 225 yards, second best in his collegiate career, & had both a rushing & receiving touchdown
  • Denzel Tolliver made 4 catches for 47 yards & 2 touchdowns
  • Jack Sheehan threw for 82 yards & 3 TD's on 7-of-14 passing

DEFENSIVE NUMBERS


NEWS & NOTES

  • The Lakers held a 35:42 to 24:18 time in possession advantage
  • RU gained 22 first downs compared to SXU's 16
  • The Cougars had 332 yards in total offense, while the Lakers gained 293 yards
  • The Lakers were 4-of-4 in the red zone with all scores being touchdowns
  • Both teams converted 8-of-15 third down opportunities
  • The Lakers & Cougars will face each other again on March 6 in a MSFA Midwest League game on the campus of SXU


NEXT UP

The Lakers begin play in the MSFA Midwest League on Saturday, Feb. 27 when they host the University of Saint Francis with a 3pm kick-off at Morris Field in Arlington Heights, Ill. Spectators are not allowed in attendance, but fans can watch the game live on the Lakers Sports Network.