Football Preview: Red Devils Look to Stay Perfect in Road Clash

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka football team is off to a strong start this year with a come-from-behind win in their first game of the season against Knox to reclaim the Lincoln Trophy. Under second-year head coach Randy Starks, the Red Devils hit the road for a battle of unbeatens when they take on Westminster this Saturday at 7 p.m. Fans can tune into a radio broadcast on EC 103.1 with Matthew Swan providing commentary alongside Drew Danehl, while live stats and a live stream will be provided by Westminster and can be found on the football schedule page of eurekareddevils.com.

This Saturday will be Starks' first meeting with the Blue Jays. The all-time series between the two teams is currently tied at 5-5, with Westminster leading the series 3-2 in Fulton and Eureka leading the series 3-2 in Eureka. The last time the teams faced off was on Oct. 7, 2017, when the Red Devils took down the Blue Jays 48-6 at McKinzie Field.

BLUE JAY BREAKDOWN: Saturday's contest will be a clash of two 1-0 teams as Westminster came out last Saturday with a 21-14 road win over Manchester. In the season opening win, the Blue Jays put up 21 points on 301 total yards of offense. The Blue Jays found success both through the air with 187 passing yards and on the ground with 114 rushing yards. Their defense was also impressive in the opener, holding the Spartans to only 14 points and shutting down the run, allowing just 31 yards on the ground. Westminster's kicker, William Corley made his mark in the opener for the Blue Jays. He was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, hitting from 33, 34, and 44-yards.

Westminster is led by junior quarterback Trey Thomas, who led last week's air attack with 187 yards and a touchdown in the opener. On the ground, sophomore running back Marquis Williams was a key weapon with 79 rushing yards and a score, while receivers Keegan Zdybel and Gabe Dace anchored the receiving end, combining for 102 yards through the air. Defensively, linebackers Jason Colonius and Alex Goly led the charge with seven tackles each, while defensive lineman Jeremiah Belizaire has proven to be a problem up front with 1.5 sacks in the opener. Dailan Brown made his mark with in the opener with a late interception on the Spartans final drive to seal the victory for the Blue Jays.

RED DEVIL SPOTLIGHT: The Red Devils are riding high after a thrilling come-from-behind win in the season opener, entering this week with a perfect 1-0 record and plenty of momentum. Behind a balanced offense that produced 341 total yards in the opener, including 201 through the air and 140 on the ground, the Red Devils have shown they can move the ball in multiple ways. Defensively, Eureka has already made its presence known, allowing just 79 passing yards in the opener, while snagging a timely interception, and recording three sacks. The Red Devils look to keep the momentum in their favor as they aim to extend their early winning streak and make a statement in their final non-conference test of the season.

The Red Devils are led by junior transfer quarterback Daryus Warren, who threw for 201 yards and a touchdown in the opener. Warren played last season at Los Angeles Valley College, where he played in 9 games, throwing for 982 yards and 5 touchdowns, while rushing for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the ground, freshman running back Aaron Locus carried the load in week one for Eureka with 51 rushing yards, while a duo of freshman receivers, Anterion Theodore and Milan Mosley, led the Red Devils through the air, combining for 75 receiving yards.

Defensively, freshman Brian Burns and junior transfer Ethan Paulat set the tone with 10 tackles apiece, Paulat added 2 sacks and Burns added 1.5 sacks. Paulat comes to Eureka from Minnesota-Morris, where he appeared in 8 games, recording 9 tackles and a forced fumble, as a sophomore for the Cougars in 2023. Freshman cornerback Jovon Gibson added an interception in his collegiate debut, ending Knox' final drive as they threatened to regain the lead and sealing the week one win for Eureka.

LOOKING AHEAD: Eureka kicks off NACC play on Saturday, Sept. 20, when they head to Rockford for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The new look Red Devils will look to flip the script on the Regents after falling 59-6 on the road last season.