The No. 2 Keiser football team advanced to its sixth straight NAIA FCS Quarterfinal appearance following a 44-16 win over No. 12 Southeastern on Saturday afternoon.
Facing the No. 8 ranked scoring defense, which allowed just 14.8 points per game, the Seahawks produced 480 yards of total offense (the most the Fire have allowed all season). It marked the seventh time this season Keiser has scored 40-or-more points in a game.
Shea Spencer, the Second Round Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game, threw for 307 yards on 27-of-33 passing with four touchdowns. It was Spencer’s second 300-yard passing game of the season and fifth of his career. With 307 yards through the air, Spencer became the first player in Sun Conference history to throw for over 9,000 yards during a career.
Spencer connected with six different Seahawks, including Elisha Edwards who had seven catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman Dallas Desouza had a team best eight catches with 82 yards receiving while Maurico Porcha (63 yards) and Ben Hayes (55 yards) each had five catches, including a touchdown.
Jaden Miller posted the seventh 100-yard rushing game of his career with 109 yards on 14 carries with two rushing touchdowns.
Defensively, the Seahawks held SEU to 259 yards of total offense, including 100 yards through the air. The defense recorded two interceptions and forced two fumbles. Josh Pastrana, the Second Round Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Game, forced one of the fumbles with three total tackles (one tackle for loss).
With the win, Keiser improved to 7-2 all-time versus Southeastern while extending their current home-winning streak to 19 games. The Seahawks also improved to 14-5 all-time in the NAIA Football Championship Series.
NAIA Football Championship Series – Second Round
Score: No. 2 Keiser Seahawks 44, No. 12 Southeastern 16
Records: Keiser (11-0 – No. 2 seed), Southeastern (9-3 – No. 15 seed)
Location: Keiser Football Stadium – West Palm Beach, Fla.
Time of Game: 2:50
Weather: Cloudy, 75 degrees, windy (15 mph)
