Box Score
Moving
Jeff Ward to running back was the right tonic for Kentucky Wesleyan College on Saturday.
Ward, who had been at H-back, set a school record with five touchdowns as KWC outlasted Lindenwood-Belleville 42-35 at Steele Stadium.
Ward ran 20 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns, caught three passes for 60 yards and another touchdown, and ran back a 94-yard kickoff return and a 46-yard punt return for two more touchdowns.
The 94-yard kickoff return was tied for second-longest in school history. One of his touchdown runs covered 74 yards.
Ward is a 5-foot-7, 174-pound junior from Jasper, Ala.
"I knew coach (
Brent Holsclaw) wanted to put me in a position to make some plays, and I told him if he put the ball in my hands I could make some plays for the team," Ward said on KWC's postgame radio interview.
Ward was nearly unstoppable in the first half, picking up 308 of the 387 all-purpose yards he had for the game.
"Jeff did it all for us," Holsclaw said. "We've got to get Jeff more touches in games. He gives max effort on the field, in the weight room and in film study. Jeff is the glue of our team right now."
The Panthers broke a four-game losing streak in going to 2-5, and were trying to erase the effects of a 74-0 beating a week ago by Urbana.
"The coaches told us we had to be a new team this week coming out," Ward said. "We had to believe in ourselves and play hard."
"I was proud of how our team responded," Holsclaw said.
KWC quarterback
Will Barnes hit 11-of-17 passes for 147 yards and two touchdown passes. He hit Ward for a 42-yard touchdown pass and also
Shawn Mooney with a 5-yard scoring toss.
The Panthers went up 14-0 and never trailed in the game. They host Indianapolis this Saturday.
Lindenwood-Belleville fell to 4-3.
