Eagles Finish the AAC Schedule on a Big Note; Conference Title Shared

Barbourville, KY - In an impressive display of football prowess, RU Football wrapped the 2024 AAC schedule with a big victory against the Union Bulldogs, 49-21. The Eagles advanced their record to 7-4 overall record and 5-1 in the AAC.  Although the Eagles end the season with a tied lead in the AAC and both will share the championship- UPike takes the NAIA Playoff automatic bid because of the head-to-head contest going to the Bears during the season. If Point University had won their final season game against Bluefield, then the Eagles would have been the team headed to the NAIA Playoffs.

The first half set the tone, with Reinhardt leading 35-14, thanks primarily to key performances across the team. Jah Colbert was a standout, contributing with two touchdowns and breaking the century mark in rushing again. Jamarion Walker led the Eagles in rushing with an incredible 146 hards on eleven carries, a 13.3% per-rush average. Jayden Ponder also got into the mix, rushing for 57 yards and scoring a touchdown for the Eagles.

Tyress McKey kept his remarkable season going in the special teams department. He was able to return a punt for a touchdown to get the Eagles going in the game. Week after week, the Eagles have proven to be very deadly with kickoff and punt returns. Not many teams in the NAIA have better special teams stats than the Eagles. Many teams opt to kick away from the Eagles' return men - McKey, Tyshun Jordan, and Colbert.

This, along with a strong running game, laid the foundation for the Eagles' dominance. Other scoring contributions included touchdowns from Tyress McKey, Stephin Craig, CJ McGhee, and Jayden Ponder.

Reinhardt's defense was impenetrable, with notable performances from Emmanuel Olaitan, Julian Stevenson, and Colby Sloan, each contributing with crucial sacks and tackles for loss. On special teams, Alex Hanson executed seven PATs, although he missed one field goal attempt. The cohesive performance across all fronts catalyzed this crucial win for the Eagles against their conference adversaries.

Despite finishing behind UPike for the automatic bid to the NAIA playoffs - the Eagles accomplished many great things this season. It will say goodbye to a good group of seniors that have served Coach Miller's program well over the past four years.  They have laid the groundwork for the younger players to grow and no doubt will be hunting for the AAC title once again next in 2025!