Bulldogs blank RedStorm

Rio Grande Sports Information
     JACKSON, Ohio - Defensively, you could argue that the University of Rio Grande played as well as it has all season.
     Unfortunately, though, the offense remained locked in a season-long struggle.
     Union Commonwealth University scored once in all four quarters and posted a 28-0 win over the RedStorm, Saturday afternoon, in Appalachian Athletic Conference football play at Jackson High School's Alumni Stadium.
     The Bulldogs improved to 3-4 overall and 1-2 against league foes with the win.
     Rio Grande dropped to 0-6 overall and 0-3 in the RSC as a result of the loss.
     One week after tallying a season-high 198 yards of offense in a loss at the University of Pikeville, the RedStorm managed just 67 total yards - their lowest total since a 23-yard showing in a season-opening loss to Defiance College.
     Rio has scored just 12 points all year, been shutout in four of its six outings and limited to 110 yards or less four times.
     In Saturday's loss, the RedStorm ran just 38 plays from scrimmage and had the ball for just 16:20.
     Union Commonwealth, on the other hand, had a trio of methodical 13-play scoring drives and finished with a 25-5 edge in first downs.
     Taji Jackson ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries to lead the Bulldogs' winning effort. He scored on a 3-yard run with 7:01 left in the first quarter and on a 9-yard rumble with 11 seconds remaining in the third period.
     Qua Powell added a 1-yard TD plunge with just under 12-1/2 minutes left in the second stanza, while Bryson Grabowski fired a 12-yard scoring strike to Brandon Rosado with 5:54 left in the game to help set the final score.
     Cooper Wick was 13-for-23 for 113 yards to lead Union's air attack, while Powell added 50 yards rushing on 12 carries and Tate Spayd finished with four receptions for 50 yards.
     Sophomore Beamer Walker (Cincinnati, OH) led Rio's offensive efforts with three catches for 42 yards.
     Defensively, freshman Braylon Robertson (Bainbridge, OH) led the RedStorm with 12 tackles. The trio of sophomore Nathaniel Lopez (East Mims, FL), sophomore Pierre Hicks (Hollandale, MS) and sophomore Isaac McCory (Chillicothe, OH) all had 11 stops each and freshman Joris Gibson (Jacksonville, FL) was credited with 10 tackles.
     McCory had 2-1/2 tackles for loss.
     Rio Grande returns to action on Saturday with an 11-hour road trip to Point (Ga.) University.
     Kickoff is set for noon.