Buffaloes Flag Football Crushes Reinhardt, Keyser Throws Five Touchdown Passes
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. – On Thursday evening, the Milligan University flag football team flexed their muscles in a home battle against the Reinhardt University Eagles at Citizens Bank Stadium on the campus of Elizabethton High School. The Buffaloes compiled a 35-14 win over the visiting Eagles.
On Milligan's first offensive play of the game, Bridget Keyser dealt a pass to Krista Quinn in the flat that she took 70 yards to pay dirt. Keyser tossed a conversion to Ashton Whearley to make it 7-0 early on.
After punting on their second drive, the Buffaloes got an interception by Whearley to put them back in a strong position to score. Then, a six-play drive, culminating with a 3-yard passing touchdown by Keyser to Sarah Rankhorn made it 13-0 after the failed 2-point conversion.
Reinhardt turned the ball over on downs at the 1-yard line of the Buffs, which then led to the Buffaloes' third scoring drive on a nine-play march. Keyser completed six passes on the drive, including the final one to Krista Quinn for a 5-yard touchdown. Whearley would toss a 2-point conversion to K. Quinn to make it a 21-0 game with 0:29 seconds left in the first half.
Keyser was intercepted on her first drive of the second half, as Reinhardt was able to turn that into their first points, scoring seven on the ensuing possession.
With a 21-7 lead, the Buffs would not be stopped, as the next drive consisted of 10 plays and ended with a trick-play touchdown on a double reverse pass from K. Quinn to her sister Caitlin Quinn from seven yards out. That score, plus the conversion from Keyser to K. Quinn made it 28-7 with 4:19 to go in the third.
The Eagles would strike back with a TD drive of their own to cut their deficit back down to 14 points at 28-14 in the closing moments of the third quarter.
Following a scoreless drive by Milligan, Reinhardt threw another interception to Whearley, her second of the day, as she took it all the way back to the Reinhardt 5-yard line. A two-yard rush by Keyser, followed by a 3-yard TD pass by Keyser to C. Quinn ended the drive with another score. Keyser completed the conversion to Rankhorn, making it 35-14 with 6:10 to go.
To put a bow on the win, Whearley snagged her third interception of the game on the next Eagles possession, effectively ending the game.
The Buffaloes have now improved to 7-2 on the season and will play next Thursday at Citizens Bank Stadium at 5 p.m. against Emmanuel University.