INDIANAPOLIS – The 16th-ranked UIndy football team (9-1) celebrated Senior Day with a decisive 70-6 victory against visiting Lake Erie College Saturday. After honoring their 14 seniors, the Greyhounds racked up the second-highest point total in program history while virtually assuring a third straight postseason berth.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hounds amassed touchdowns early and often, eventually running off 63 unanswered points. UIndy managed more than 400 yards of total offense in the first half alone before falling one yard shy of 600 for the game.
 
The Storm finally got on the board with a lengthy TD pass late in the third quarter, but perhaps indicative of their day as a whole, had the extra-point blocked.
 
Al McKeller set a major touchdown record for the second straight week. Seven days after becoming UIndy's all-time leader in rushing TDs, the hometown product notched his 41st career rushing touchdown to break the GLVC mark.
 
UIndy pulled off another season highlight with a 58-yard TD pass from an unlikely source. Midway through the second quarter, Ryan Topper caught what appeared to be a simple screen pass from senior QB TJ Edwards, but the junior wide receiver quickly fired it right back to Edwards, who followed a slew of blockers all the way to the end zone.
 

?? | It's all Hounds today, epitomized by this 58-yd TD pass from WR Ryan Topper to QB TJ Edwards!

At the half...
#16 @UIndyFB 4??9??
Lake Erie 0?? pic.twitter.com/Y3dADMmsAr

— UIndy Athletics (@UIndyAthletics) November 16, 2019

 
Defensively, the Greyhounds combined for six tackles for a loss and three sacks. Safety Connor Steeb garnered his first interception of the season, d-lineman Cory Klem was credited with the blocked PAT as well as a forced fumble, while fellow-DL Alec Patch amassed 1.5 sacks and two pass break-ups.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Edwards finished 10-for-15 passing for 225 yards , two touchdowns and zero picks. He also added 35 yards rushing and 58 yards receiving.
- Senior and Indy native Connor Ray hauled in his first career TD reception in what could be his final home game, catching a 15-yard strike from back-up QB Jacob Leffew in the third quarter.
- Sophomore Toriano Clinton led the club with 88 rushing yards on just eight attempts. Senior Tyre Lee joined McKeller with two rushing scores.
- Nine Hounds caught at least one pass, with three different players breaking off a reception of 50 yards or more.
- Kicker Paul Buisman's 10 PATs on the day set both a UIndy* and GLVC record, while also upping his season total past the school and conference marks.
 
SENIOR DAY
Seniors Danny Annee, Myles Cunningham, TJ Edwards, Nik Giles, Joe Lambright, Tyre Lee, Jack Kuerzi, Malcolm Munson, Alex Parsons, Connor Ray, Maurice Robinson, Jacob Schmatz, Robert Tucker and Rondell Weathers, along with their escorts, were all recognized prior to the kickoff. The group has helped the Greyhounds to a combined 36-9 record over the last four years, a span that to date includes two GLVC titles and a likely third NCAA playoff berth.
 
MORE NOTES
The Hounds have built a 42-0 lead in four of their nine wins this year … UIndy's point total today is second only to the ridiculous 97 points the Hounds hung on Oakland City way back in 1928 ... Today's game marked the first-ever meeting between UIndy and Lake Erie … Two final scores of note in Super Region Three: No. 7-ranked Northwest Missouri State defeated No. 2 Central Missouri, 45-23, while No. 3-ranked Ouachita Baptist downed No. 7 Henderson State, 24-21.
 
UP NEXT
The Hounds now await the announcement of the 2019 NCAA Division II playoff field. The NCAA will produce a football selection show, scheduled to air Sunday, Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. ET on NCAA.com. The top seven teams from SR3 will earn postseason berths. UIndy was ranked fifth in the region heading into the weekend.

*single-game PAT records available 1970-present