ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Roosevelt's defense was the hero even though Davenport escaped Morris Field with a 19-14 win in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest.

The Lakers' defense allowed just 10 points despite being faced with incredibly challenging situations in critical moments of the game. Roosevelt (1-6, 1-3 GLIAC) held Davenport to a field goal after an opening-drive interception gave the Panthers the ball inside the Lakers 30-yard line. The defense also stopped the Panthers twice on fourth down deep in Roosevelt territory and picked up a red-zone takeaway as well.

Carson Budke did what he did best late in the first quarter and moved the ball in large chunks through the air against the Panthers. He found Norbert Espadron for 16 yards early in the drive and added a 46-yard connection with Keonta Nixon and 25-yard pass to Jack Young Jr. to put the Lakers inside the 10. Cyrus Zuell finished off the drive with a pair of rushes that culminated in a two-yard touchdown.

When Davenport took the lead in the middle of the second quarter, the response was immediate from Roosevelt's offense. The Lakers strung together a seven-play, 69-yard drive that ended in a 15-yard touchdown from Budke to Alex Tran. That drive also included 12-to-15 yard passes to Espadron, Nixon and Young to help move the ball into position for the throw to Tran.

The Panthers took the lead for good by taking the opening kickoff of the second half back for a touchdown. Roosevelt had a few chances in the second half to take the lead, notably when Carlos Conley picked off the Davenport pass near the goal line and raced into Panthers territory with the return. A penalty brought the ball back to midfield, but the Lakers went three-and-out.

Roosevelt's defense made sure the Lakers would have one final chance at glory with a fourth-down stop at the 5-yard line. However, Budke was sacked on a desperation fourth down for a safety and the final score line.

Jacob Bellizzi was a force on defense for the Lakers, leading the unit with 11 tackles, including four tackles-for-loss and one sack. Jaylen Olokun added 10 stops and Deven Jarvis had seven tackles, two of which went for a loss. Dale Dambek had a sack and two quarterback hurries credited while the Lakers secondary was credited with six pass breakups in the game.

UP NEXT: Roosevelt finally gets a chance to remain home two consecutive weeks as it prepares to welcome Michigan Tech to Morris Field next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.