Miscues hurt Storm in loss to Wis.-Stout

INDIANOLA, Iowa — Keyshawn Carpenter ran for 77 yards, Jay Alston threw a TD pass and Wis.-Stout took advantage of Simpson miscues in a 17-0, season-opening win Saturday at Buxton Stadium.

Brian Sandifer caught a jump ball in the endzone to give the Blue Devils (1-0) a 14-0 lead early in the third quarter and Simpson couldn't respond, falling to 0-3 in the all-time series.

Mistakes hurt the Storm (0-1), who committed three turnovers, including a fumble on the goal line. Simpson also had a touchdown called back due to illegal touching.

Sam Sasso threw for 259 yards in his first career start, hitting Jackson Redmond 10 times for 128 yards. The running game never got on track as the Storm managed just 62 yards on 28 rushes.

COACH SPEAK
"We ran our plan to the "t," we just didn't capitalize. They made opportunities and we didn't. We were our worst enemy today, and playing against a team like Stout, you can't do that." — head coach, Matt Jeter

KEY MOMENTS
• Simpson went 61 yards on the game's opening drive before Drew Jensen's 32-yard field goal was blocked. Sasso came out of the gates hot, hitting on his first four attempts and going 5-for-7 on the opening drive.

• The Blue Devils couldn't get anything going offensively until they went to a no-huddle approach in the second quarter. The mobile Alston directed Stout on a 15-play, 74-yard drive that culminated in a 1-yard plunge by Carpenter at the 5:27 mark.

• Clinging to a 7-0 lead, Stout faced 3rd-and-18 on the opening drive of the second half when Alston found Carpenter for 29 yards and a first down. A roughing the passer penatly tacked on 15 more yards, and one play later Alston found Sandifer in the endzone.

• Trailing 17-0 and needing a score to get back in the game in the fourth quarter, Redmond made a great toe-tap catch on the sideline to put Simpson at the 1-yard line. But Braden Meints had the ball stripped on the next play and Stout recovered in the endzone. 

NEWS AND NOTES
• Simpson's defense generated three turnovers of its own with interceptions by safeties Ryan Lehr and Brendan Holmes and a forced fumble by Bryan Gregson. The Storm are just 1-2 in games when they force three turnovers over the last two seasons.

• The team's leading tackler a year ago, Holmes led the way with 13 total tackles. He also had 0.5 tackles for loss. 

• Redmond went over 100 yards receiving for the third time in his career.

• The Storm were held off the scoreboard for the first time since 2014 when they fell to Central 17-0, a span of 22 games.

UP NEXT
Simpson hosts Illinois College next Saturday, Sept. 9 in the second of three straight home games to open the season. The Blueboys opened the season Saturday night against Rose Hulman.