UIndy Athletics

INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy football team came up on the short end of a 29-27 final Saturday night at Key Stadium, falling to GLVC-rival Truman State. The Greyhounds pulled to within two points midway through the fourth quarter, but the visiting Bulldogs managed to drain the balance of the clock and hang on for the win.

UP NEXT
The Hounds have their longest road trip of the season on tap, as they'll head to the Kansas City area to battle the William Jewell Cardinals Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.

INS & OUTS
After a defensive first half that ended in a slim 7-3 lead for Truman, both offenses picked up the pace after intermission. UIndy received the third-quarter kickoff and marched 81 yards for its first touchdown of the game. Kaleb Carver hauled in a 34-yard catch to jump start the possession and QB Nick Patterson broke off a 19-yard rush, as the Hounds quickly found themselves in the red zone. The highlight came on the final play of the drive as tight end Luke Chambers shook off an interfering defender to make a diving catch in the end zone and give the Hounds their first lead of the night at 10-7.
 
The conference rivals traded scoring drives from there, as Truman found the end zone on its first possession of the half before UIndy answered with a field goal, making it 14-13 Bulldogs as the third quarter came to a close. The aforementioned UIndy possession finally ended on the 15th play, with freshman kicker Zach Hermanson splitting the uprights for his second field goal of the night.
 
Each team tacked on two fourth-quarter TDs. The Greyhounds' scores came from Garrett Sherrill (seven-yard rush) and Callen Okerson (11-yard reception). The latter came on a clutch 3rd & 9 conversion when a scrambling Patterson found Okerson in the zone, cutting the lead to two with eight minutes to play.
 
The stingy Bulldogs would not give the ball back, however, as they managed to melt away the final 8:03 with a relentless commitment to the run. They rushed the ball 11 consecutive times and earned three first downs before taking a knee on the final three plays as time expired.
 
INSIDE THE BOX
- Junior cornerback DeBrince Johnson came up with his second interception of the season late in the first half, marking the only turnover of the night for either squad.
- Rookie kicker Zach Hermanson nailed a 41-yard field goal in the second quarter, good the longest kick of his young college career and the longest by a Greyhound since 2024.
- Lineback TJ Cothron led all players with career-high 11 tackles. Alvin Contreras and Eli Liapis added nine stops apiece.
- Senior captain Giovani Laurent paced the Hounds with five catches for 90 yards.
 
MORE NOTES
The Greyhounds are now 13-2 all-time versus Truman State, with Saturday's loss breaking a 10-game winning streak in the series.