OWENSBORO, Ky. - The William Jewell football team put together a second half rally on Saturday night as the defense held strong to defeat Kentucky Wesleyan 23-16 and move to 2-0 on the season for the first time since 2007. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both offenses stalled early, as Kentucky Wesleyan's first quarter field goal was the only points during the first 23 minutes of action. Midway through the second period, the Panthers scored on a 21-yard touchdown pass to Kam Sherrard to take a 10-0 lead. 
• In the final minutes of the first half, Josh Click connected on a 27-yard field goal to put Jewell on the board heading into the locker room. 
• On their opening drive of the second half, the Cardinals drove 75 yards and scored on a Keaundre McCullough six-yard rush, but the point after attempt missed to make it a 10-9 game. 
• Kentucky Wesleyan got another field goal, this time from 45 yard to push their lead to 13-9 heading into the final period. 
• To start the fourth quarter, Tucker Griffin found Beau Doughty for 25 yards into Panther territory. Three plays later the pair teamed up again for a four-yard touchdown pass to give Jewell their first lead of the night, 16-13.  
• KWC again drove the field, getting down to the one yard line but back-to-back tackles for loss by Avion Bass and Justin Endicott forced the Panthers to settle for a game-tying field goal. 
• From their own 48 yard line, Griffin connected with AJ Austene for a 48-yard completion to take the Cardinals down to the four yard line where McCullough ran it in for the score with just 54 seconds to play. 
• Having to rush and flanked by the Cardinal defense, the Kentucky Wesleyan ran out of time, giving Jewell the win, 23-16. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The defense was superb, finishing with four sacks for 13 yards, led by two each from Endicott and Javion Macias. The pair had a team best six tackles with three for loss. Seven others had at least one tackle-for-loss.  
• McCullough accounted for 89 yards on the ground and two scores to lead the offense while Griffin, who took over under center midway through the second quarter, was 9-of-13 through the air for 139 yards and one touchdown while also running for 27 yards. 
• Austene caught two passes for 70 yards with Doughty had 37 yards on three catches. 
   

UP NEXT
Jewell wraps up the early season road swing next weekend at Lincoln University of Missouri to open Great Lakes Valley Conference action.