WEST HAVEN, CONN. — The Saginaw Valley State University football team had its second-half rally cut just short in a 35-28 defeat at New Haven. The Cardinals (1-3) outscored the Chargers (2-2) 14-0 in the final 30 minutes of play, but were unable to close the gap fully before the end of regulation.

 

Meijer Player of the Game Mason McKenzie (Caledonia, Mich. / Caledonia HS) led the way for SVSU with 202 yards on 21-of-38 passing and two scores through the air. He also led the Cardinals in rushing with 11 carries for 88 yards and another score.

 

Terrence Brown Jr. (Detroit, Mich. / Martin Luther King HS) and Israel Bradford (Cincinnati, Ohio / Mt. Healthy HS) caught touchdown passes from McKenzie, and Michael Jamerson III (Flint, Mich. / Davison HS) scored once on the ground. Brown Jr. finished the game with 52 yards on six receptions to lead the Saginaw Valley receivers, while Jamerson III rushed 19 times for 68 yards.

 

Christian Boivin (Traverse City, Mich. / Traverse City West HS) led the defense once more with six tackles, half of which were solo stops. He also recorded one of two Cardinal takeaways with an interception in the fourth quarter. Joshua Brown (Inkster, Mich. / Livonia Churchill HS) had the first pick of the game (the first SVSU takeaway of the season). Junyoung Chung (Berrien Springs, Mich. / Berrien Springs HS) finished with five tackles. Adom LeDuc (Utica, Mich. / Utica Stevenson HS), Mason Nickel (Midland, Mich. / Dow HS), Allon Hill (Cincinnati, Ohio / Roger Bacon HS), and Donovan Lyons (Detroit, Mich. / Detroit Edison HS) recorded four stops.

 

New Haven put together a seven-play, 84-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead in its second possession of the game. AJ Duffy completed a 5-yard touchdown strike to Josh Tracey with 6:57 left in the first quarter to hop out in front.

 

Duffy found Logan Schmidt for a 43-yard scoring play as the Chargers extended their lead to 14-0 with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter.

On the first play of the second quarter, McKenzie raced 28 yards around the left end for a score, pulling SVSU within 14-7. This touchdown run capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive.

 

New Haven responded quickly, as Duffy connected with Tracey for a 64-yard touchdown, putting the Chargers ahead 21-7 with 12:12 left in the first half.

 

Duffy recorded his fourth touchdown pass of the first half, with an 18-yard toss to Kevonne Wilder in the right flat as New Haven extended its lead to 28-7 with 6:56 to play in the second quarter.

 

The Chargers would score again on a fourth-down run from two yards out by Zaon Laney to push the advantage to 35-7 with 2:09 remaining before halftime.

 

On the next UNH drive, Duffy's pass attempt on third-and-nine was intercepted by Joshua Brown and returned 47 yards down the sideline to the New Haven 29-yard line, marking SVSU's first takeaway of the game.

 

Two plays later, McKenzie fires an 18-yard touchdown strike to Brown Jr. in the right corner of the end zone as SVSU rallies to within 35-14 with 27 seconds left in the first half.

 

After halftime, New Haven lost 17 yards on its opening drive when the snap sailed over the punter's head and back to the Chargers' 33-yard line.

 

Three plays later, Jamerson III scores on a 16-yard run up the middle as SVSU cuts its deficit to 35-21 with 10:45 left in the third quarter.

 

McKenzie finishes off a 12-play, 74-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Bradford to put SVSU seven points back, 35-28, with 7:38 remaining in the fourth quarter.

 

Duffy was intercepted again, this time by Boivin on a third-and-19. Boivin returned the pick 17 yards to the New Haven 26-yard line to set the Cardinals up with a chance to tie the game.

 

SVSU drove the ball to the Chargers' six-yard line, but Jamerson was held to no gain on a fourth-and-2 that turned the ball over on downs and halted the Cardinal comeback.

 

Saginaw Valley State will return to the field on Saturday, October 4, to host Northern Michigan on Homecoming weekend to open play in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Kick off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET.