Blue Jays Fall In First Road Game 

Batesville, AR 9/23/2023- The Westminster College football team traveled to Batesville, Arkansas for a week four matchup against the Lyon College Scots. The Scots got out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The Blue Jays would respond in the second quarter with a touchdown to make it 10-7. The Scots then scored 20 unanswered points, capitalizing on excellent field position and costly turnovers by the Westminster offense. Lyon would win the game with a final score of 30-7. 

Both teams would stale out on their first drives of the game, with the Scots receiving the ball to start the game. They would go three and out as the Blue Jay defense forced them to punt from their own 38-yard line. The Lyon punter would blast a 56-yard punt and pin the Blue Jays down at their own 6-yard line for their first drive of the game. 

The Westminster offense would get a couple of first downs before a false start set them back five yards. On first and fifteen, Blue Jay quarterback Payton Byerley would rush for an eleven-yard gain to make it second down and four. The Scots defense would stand the Blue Jays up and force them to punt the ball back after an eight-play, twenty-eight-yard drive. 

The Scots would take over near midfield and march down the field for a touchdown. They would punch the ball in on a two-yard run on the goal line to take a 7-0 lead. 

Westminster would go three and out on their next drive and gave the ball back to the Scots offense with 3:14 remaining in the first quarter. Lyon would complete a twenty-three-yard competition and the receiver was downed at the eleven-yard line. The Blue Jay defense would make a red zone stand and force Lyon to settle for a field goal. The nineteen-yard field goal attempt would be good as the Scots took a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

The two offenses would struggle early in the second quarter. The Blue Jays would fumble on their ensuing drive after the field goal and gave the ball back to the Scots to start the quarter. On third and three, Darvin Fowler would get into the backfield and sack the Lyon quarterback for a ten-yard loss. On fourth and thirteen from the Westminster forty-two-yard line, the Scots would go for it on fourth down. Senior defensive tackle, Marcus Stephens would bust through the Scot offensive line and sack the quarterback again as Lyon would turn the ball over on downs. 

Unfortunately, the Blue Jays would be forced to punt after getting the ball to the Lyon forty-one-yard line. The Scots would punt the ball right back after going three and out. With 11:00 minutes left in the second quarter; the Blue Jays would take over at the Lyon forty-eight-yard line. Dante Billups and Jordan Kern would pound the ball on the ground and get the Blue Jays inside the red zone for the first time. An offside penalty on the Lyon defense would give Westminster a first down from the Lyon twenty-three-yard line. Disaster would strike on the next play when Byerley would throw an interception on a pass intended for Brandon Perry. It would be the Blue Jays' second turnover of the day. 

Lyon would take over from their own goal line, then on third and nine, senior linebacker Dawson Brandt would come up with his own interception and give the ball right back to the Blue Jays with great field position. The Westminster offense took over on the thirteen-yard line. Five plays later, Byerley would make up for his mistake with a one-yard touchdown run make it 10-7, and get his team right back in the game. 

 Lyon would score right before halftime and took a 16-7 lead into the break. From there, they would score two more touchdowns and win 30-7. 

Trace Helsel led the Blue Jay ground game with thirty-two yards on eleven attempts. Jordan Kern rushed six times for twenty-five yards, and Payton Byerley would have the rushing touchdown. He would go 9-25 for 51 yards in the air. 

Westminster was led defensively by Garrett Burger, who had nine total tackles and a sack. And Dawson Brandt would have four total tackles, a sack, and an interception. The Blue Jays would have a total of four sacks on the day and forced a fumble. 

The Blue Jays will be back in action next week when they travel to Minnesota to start the UMAC schedule and face Crown College at 12:00 PM.