Tyler Godwin
Sports Media Staff
Mental mistakes and turnovers were the story of the game for Butler football on Saturday, Aug. 25, as the Grizzlies lost their season opener to the Iowa Central Tritons, 26-16.
After taking a 10-9 lead in a low scoring first half, which saw quarterback sophomore Trae Self throw his first touchdown as a Grizzly, connecting with Rhett Weidenbacher, the second half was a completely different story.
The third quarter scoring started with a 27-yard field goal from Tritons, kicker Luke Noonan, as Iowa Central would take a 12-10 lead with 7:36 left in the quarter.
Just over a minute later, the Tritons added on a defensive touchdown when Grizzly sophomore punter Tyler Zentner picked up a botched snap and tired to toss the ball away, but threw it right into the hands of Iowa Central freshman linebacker Zion Smith. Smith would scurry in for an 8-yard touchdown, putting the Tritons lead at 19-10.
Iowa Central would add on another touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 46-yard bubble screen pass from Tritons sophomore quarterback Blake Dever, to sophomore Emmanuel Logan-Greene, as Greene would dodge tackle after tackle on his way into the end zone, extending the lead to 26-10 over the Grizzlies.
According to The Fort Dodge Messenger, Dever sat out the previous season after transferring programs. The quarterback would go 13 of 36 passing for 187 yards, with a rushing and passing touchdown in Saturday’s game.
Butler would get on the board just one more time in the game on an 8-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Ja’Kevious Vickers with 6:49 left in the game. The touchdown was set up by a fourth and 13 conversion as Self would hit sophomore receiver Kaden Davis on a 28-yard pass.
The Grizzlies defense would force Iowa Central to punt on the ensuing drive, but the Tritons would get the ball back after Davis would fail to recover the punt off of a dropped fair catch.
The Butler defense would stop the Tritons one more time, but Iowa Central would seal the victory after another Self interception.
On offense, Butler was led by freshman running back Grahm Roberts. Roberts would finish with 144 total yards, with 85 on the ground along with 59 yards receiving. Self would finish the game 18-of-41 for 189 yards and a touchdown and two interceptions.
In a game that featured 14 total penalties for 125 yards, on top of five turnovers, what it would boil down to is a lack of communication.
“It starts with the communication up front, and that’s one of our main focuses of this week is to fix up the communication on the field,” Quarterbacks Coach Hunter Vaughn said.
“Our biggest problem in Week 1 is that we totally beat ourselves,” sophomore kicker Zentner said. “If we eliminate errors that cost us that game, then we are going to have a chance to be great.”
Butler will have a bye week this week, but will be back on Saturday, Sept. 8, with a 3 p.m. kickoff at Highland Community College. You can tune-in to the game on 88.1 KBTL or online at butler.listen2myradio.com.