WATERBURY, Conn. -- For the ninth time in 10 games this season, junior wide receiver Josh Tracey found the back of the end zone for Post University Football making it 11 receiving touchdowns to go along with his two kick return touchdowns on the year, but nine combined turnovers between the Eagles in their Senior Day matchup with AIC at Municipal Stadium would lead to a wild finish and a 28-27 loss for Post who finished the season 1-9 overall without a conference win. 

THE BASICS

Post University 27, AIC 28

Post University (1-9, 0-8 NE10)

AIC (4-6, 3-4 NE10)

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a run-heavy day for the AIC offense who gashed Post's defense for 242 net yards on the ground while finding the end zone for three touchdowns in that manner. Freshman quarterback Connor Dietz proved to be a dual threat for the Eagles to try and stop, throwing for 161 yards in the air on 13-of-22 passing with one touchdown while adding two touchdowns with his legs and on 15 attempts scrambling for 81 yards. 

On the other side, junior quarterback Malakai Taylor threw for 161 yards on 8-of-21 passing with two touchdowns but accounted for five critical turnovers for the Eagles with three coming via interception and two being red zone fumbles. After Dietz gave AIC the early 7-0 lead on his 16-yard run, Taylor hooked up with Tracey for a 72-yard score just 2:16 later in the opening frame to knot things back up at seven all. Using his legs as well, Taylor would get a tush push into the end zone to give Post their first lead of the day after a botched snap led to a fumble by Dietz which was recovered by freshman outside linebacker Joey Poland.

Another Yellow Jackets fumble inside their own 10-yard line which was picked up by graduate safety Ajay Morrison looked to give the Eagles a chance at increasing their lead to two scores but by attempting a tush push again across the goal line, Taylor lost the ball and it was picked up by junior defensive back Ahsin Jacobs for a touchback that AIC would capitalize on. Driving 80 yards in four minutes, senior running back Sidiki Kone's 10-yard run with just about a minute left in the half would tie the game at 14 heading into the break.

Coming out of halftime, Post would retake their lead on a 10-play drive of their own that went 83 yards and was capped off by junior wide receiver Jermaine Tillery's 10-yard catch. However, what would prove to be a key block by graduate safety David Jaylin Eppinger on sophomore kicker Aden Caine's extra-point attempt to keep it at a six-point game, 20-14, would end up benefiting AIC down the stretch. 

In response to the Post score, Dietz drove his team down the field and hit sophomore fullback Marcus Thurston with a 14-yard touchdown grab to pull the Yellow Jackets ahead by one which would be a lead that lasted only 12 seconds before senior running back Isaiah Emmanuel's 78-yard scamper to the end zone gave the Eagles their six-point edge back, 27-21. Looking to halt a long AIC drive that took them down to the Post 26-yard line for fourth-and-seven, Dietz used some shifty moves down the right side of the field, breaking through multiple tacklers to reach the end zone for the 26-yard touchdown run that shifted the game back in favor of the visitors.

The Eagle defense continued to hold strong the rest of the fourth and a fumbled snap by junior punter Santana Fonseca led to Post taking the ball back down one on AIC's 10-yard line in prime position to regain the lead. But on the very first play, Taylor's rush to the left side led to a fumble forced by Jaylin Eppinger which was picked up by senior linebacker Tyson Thornton giving possession back to the Yellow Jackets.

Despite forcing AIC into a short punt, an offensive pass interference call against freshman wide receiver Ramon Calderon pushed the Eagles back to their side of the field which they would be unable to recover from as the drive ended in an interception caught by junior linebacker Chris Chasia on fourth down. Post would be unable to stop the Yellow Jackets from getting a first down before using their three timeouts as AIC ran out the clock to end Post's season on a nine-game losing streak with the 28-27 loss. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Malakai Taylor's 72-yard touchdown pass to Josh Tracey in the first quarter was the second-longest pass-reception in program history behind only a pair of 74-yard completions from Taylor to Tracey and Broghean McGovern to Taji Blizzard in 2022 against Southern Connecticut State University 
• Needing just one play for 78 yards which took only 12 seconds, Isaiah Emmauel's 78-yard touchdown run was the third-quickest scoring drive in program history 
• Isaiah Emmanuel's 78-yard touchdown run in the third quarter tied the program record for the longest rush of all time with a 78-yard run by Roberto Salas back in 2022 against Saint Anselm College 
• Aden Caine's 54-yard punt in the game was the third-longest in program history – Caine owns the program record which was 68 yards against Bentley University last September 
• Post University finishes the season 0-4 in one-score games with their lone win against West Virginia Wesleyan College coming by double digits, 41-24