UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich.—The No. 8-ranked UIndy football team suffered its first defeat of the season Saturday, falling 38-14 at in-region Saginaw Valley.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Playing without injured starting quarterback Connor Kinnett, UIndy looked to senior Christian Conkling at QB. A veteran of the program but still relatively inexperienced, Conkling showed some glimpses but the Greyhound offense ultimately struggled to find a rhythm.
 
UIndy's first  touchdown came in the first quarter after the defense forced and recovered a fumble deep in Cardinal territory. The Hounds capitalized with a 12-yard touchdown run by Toriano Clinton, tying the game at 7-7.
 
It was all Saginaw Valley from there, however, as the host Cardinals managed 31 unanswered points. All told, the Cardinals took advantage of four UIndy turnovers and a blocked punt to pull away.
 
UIndy added one more TD late in the game when Conkling found tight end Kevin McNelis on a five-yard strike with 6:40 left.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Conkling's final stat line showed 284 yards on 23-for 38 passing, one touchdown and four interceptions.
-Freshman Markez Gillam finished with a team-high 113 all-purpose yards.
-Linebacker Clay Schulte led the team with a personal-best 10 tackles while adding a forced fumble.
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds return to conference play for the remainder of the regular season. A stretch of three home games in four weeks starts next Saturday, Oct. 22 when the Quincy Hawks visit Key Stadium.