the grizzlies defeated on the road

by Clarck Leubou and Lehener Arsenio

In a difficult road game ,the grizzlies’ play was insufficient, and they lost 48-7 to the Iowa Western Reivers on Saturday afternoon at Titan Stadium. 

Iowa Western began with possession deep in their own territory after a solid kickoff return by Fresh Walters. Quarterback Hunter Dekkers attempted two quick passes but was met with tough coverage, and the series ended abruptly when Butler's redshirt freshman linebacker Gabe Welch sacked Dekkers, forcing a punt. 

Butler couldn’t make much progress either. Iowa Western’s Lucas Struck and Jerome Baker put pressure on Butler's offense, containing them to just a yard on the next series. A punt from Butler's sophomore punter Chevy Edwards resulted in a touchback, handing Iowa Western another opportunity. 

Dekkers connected with Titus Myers for a first down, but the Reivers struggled to build momentum, eventually punting after just 25 yards on their second drive. 

Butler responded by advancing past midfield with a big play—a 29-yard pass to sophomore receiver  Cam Harris followed by a 16-yard run from sophomore running back Vinny Smith, placing them within striking distance. But a sack on redshirt freshman quarterback Mason McHugh by Iowa Western's Walt Gray forced Butler to punt, ending their best drive so far with no points. 

Starting the second quarter, Iowa Western found their rhythm with a balanced attack. Dekkers connected with Jaivyn Moore for a 26-yard gain, setting up the Reivers at Butler's 23-yard line. After several strong rushes by Trevor Burnett, Dekkers hit Titus Myers for a 7-yard touchdown, putting Iowa Western on the board first at 7-0. 

Butler’s redshirt freshman receiver Da'Realyst Clark quickly answered, sprinting 94 yards on the kickoff return for a touchdown, bringing the score to 7-7 and igniting Butler’s sideline. 

Iowa Western struck back immediately. A quick 14-yard pass to Daniel Swinney and another to DeAndre Horn moved them across midfield, setting up another drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Burnett, giving Iowa Western a 14-7 lead. 

Late in the second quarter, Iowa Western’s defense pressured Butler’s McHugh with back-to-back sacks, forcing them into negative yardage and yet another punt. Iowa Western continued to dominate the clock, with Dekkers connecting again with Moore and Myers to get within Butler's 1-yard line. Burnett punched it in for his second rushing touchdown, extending Iowa Western’s lead to 21-7.  Butler’s offense struggled for the rest of the half. The Iowa Western defense kept their gains minimal, ending the half on a solid defensive stand with Butler only managing a short 1-yard rush before time expired. 

Iowa Western took over the game in the second half. Kicking off the third quarter, Iowa Western’s Dekkers found Walters for a 26-yard touchdown, extending their lead to 28-7. Butler offense couldn't respond, with quarterback McHugh facing heavy defensive pressure, resulting in a few sacks and limited yardage gains on plays. Despite some promising passes, Butler couldn’t break through Iowa Western’s solid defense and was forced into repeated punts. Iowa finished the quarter with one more field goal from Max Bartachek, making the score 31-7 in favor of Iowa Western. 

In the fourth quarter of the game, Iowa Western continued to dominate the game. The first opportunity came in early when Dekkers made a touchdown to Trevor Burnett. Later, Nolan Geislinge scored another touchdown, sealing the game Iowa Western's defense remained strong for the rest of the game, preventing any further scoring from Butler and closing out a decisive victory.