QUINCY, Ill. – The UIndy football team (1-0, 1-0 GLVC) returned to the field in impressive fashion Saturday, shutting out Quincy University, 38-0. A slew of Greyhounds had standout individual performances, while the UIndy defensive unit held the host Hawks to a mere 56 total yards on the afternoon.
 
INS & OUTS
Strapping on the pads for their first official game in some 500 days, both offenses were slow to get going; the teams combined for five punts and a pair of lost fumbles in the first quarter alone.
 
But it was the Hounds that took advantage late in the opening period, scoring on the second play after the Hawks' aforementioned turnover. Senior QB Bryce Stancombe found Frank Bentley on a quick hitch and the latter took it the rest of the way for a 17-yard score – the first touchdown of Bentley's career.
 

?? | Stancombe??Bentley for the first points of 2021!! @UIndyFB pic.twitter.com/XJPrZMf6h8

— UIndy Athletics (@UIndyAthletics) April 3, 2021

 
The Greyhounds piled on from there in a variety of ways, scoring three more TDs, two safeties and a field goal. Redshirt-freshman JaQuan Buchanan had a memorable collegiate debut, racking up 101 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards while scoring a pair of touchdowns.

Stancombe finished 24 for 33 for 275 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Eight different Greyhounds recorded at least one reception, led by seven catches for 76 yards by senior Daveon Bell.
 
Defensively, UIndy notched its first shutout since October of 2017. More notably, not one but two defensive rarities happened Saturday, as the Hounds recorded two safeties for the first time since before 2002*, while Quincy's 56 total yards is the lowest sum by a Greyhound opponent over that same time frame.

INSIDE THE BOX
- Three Hounds tied for the team high in tackles, as Benjamin Hunnius, Clay Schulte and Connor Steeb each had seven stops.
- Schulte also added two sacks and four tackles for a loss, including one in the QU end zone for the last of the D's two safeties
- Bell tacked on 85 return yards to finish the day with a game-high 161 all-purpose yards.
- Like Buchanan, fellow-running back Chris Payne made his first appearance in an NCAA game. He garnered the start in the backfield before earning 14 carries for 61 yards.
- Sophomore Brian Mullins handled the kicking duties, going 2-for-2 in field goal attempts and 4-for-4 in PATs while averaging more than 50 yards per punt and nearly as much on kickoffs.
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will take advantage of the upcoming open date to prepare for McKendree. UIndy will host the Bearcats at Key Stadium on Saturday, April 17.

_{* 2002 is the earliest season that game-by-game statistics are readily available.}