WATERBURY, Conn. – Freshman wide receiver Israel Hiraldo provided a major second-half spark for the Post University Football offense as part of his big day in which he had 256 all-purpose yards to help the Eagles cap off a 32-point second half and 39-30 comeback win over Southern Connecticut State University at Municipal Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Hiraldo ignited the offense with back-to-back kickoff returns of 80-plus yards in less than four minutes in the third quarter in a game where he finished with the third-most all-purpose yards for a single game behind only two performances by Joshua Tracey last season. 

THE BASICS

Post University 39, Southern Connecticut State University 30

Post University (2-0)

Southern Connecticut State University (0-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Junior quarterback Tyler Phommanchanh's ground game helped guide the Eagles offensively in addition to Hiraldo's heroics as he rushed for 92 yards on 12 carries for three touchdowns, the most rushing touchdowns in a single game in program history for Post. The rushing attack for the Eagles was led by sophomore running back Adonis White, who had 20 carries for 146 rushing yards and a touchdown on an afternoon where, as a unit, they rushed for a record-breaking 252 rushing yards. In all, Post's offense had 427 total yards of offense, the second-most in program history, and with 32 second-half points, it was the most points in a single half the Eagles have had after scoring 30 in the first half against West Virginia Wesleyan College to start the year. 

Spending over six minutes on the opening drive alone, 13 plays that spanned 73 yards would end in Phommachanh's one-yard touchdown carry to give Post the early 7-0 lead, which was answered back by Southern Connecticut with a chip shot 29-yard filed goal from junior kicker Daniel Benzi and started a stretch of 16 unanswered points for the Owls over the next quarter and a half. The next five combined drives ended in no points for either side before graduate running back John Amaning weaved his way into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown to give Southern Connecticut their first lead of the day, 10-7. 

Amaning finished the day with 110 rushing yards on just eight carries with that lone touchdown as part of an Owls ground game that amassed 227 rushing yards and three touchdowns between three different players. Still having 3:36 left in the first half, Post would go to work on the offensive end with senior quarterback Malakai Taylor under center, who hit Hiraldo with a big 32-yard grab before the two-minute warning to get Post near the red zone with a fresh set of downs. Needing nine yards on first down to reach the end zone later in the drive, sophomore running back Edward Bandy got the Eagles to the one-yard line before the defensive line of Southern Connecticut stood him up on three consecutive plays to end the half, allowing the Owls to maintain their narrow three-point edge, 10-7.

Southern Connecticut got the ball to start the second half and wasted no time marching down the field on five plays over the first three minutes, capped off by a 37-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback John Giller, extending the Owl lead to nine points after the missed kick from Benzi on the extra point. Only 12 seconds later, Hiraldo mounted the response for Post with his 80-yard kickoff return touchdown down the Post sideline, bringing the deficit down to two points, 16-14. Junior running back Kieran Falzon was the answer for Southern Connecticut after Hiraldo's score with a 33-yard touchdown run, helping the Owls regain that nine-point lead as Benzi would connect on the point after attempt.

But one more time, Hiraldo flashed his speed with his second kickoff return touchdown in as many returns only 13 seconds later, and this time freshman kicker Nathan Hawkins missed his point after try, which kept Post's deficit at three points, 23-20. At that point in the affair, Hiraldo already reached 256 all-purpose yards, and on the subsequent Eagle drive, nearly hauled in a 45-yard pass from Taylor, which would have brought him within 10 yards of tying Tracey's mark, but dropped it and landed awkwardly at the Southern Connecticut 15-yard line. Hiraldo would exit the game after that play, but is expected to be ready to play in next weekend's contest against Pace University. 

Starting their first go-ahead drive in the third quarter, Phommachanh's second rushing touchdown of the game with 11:41 remaining in regulation gave Post their first lead since Phommachanh's touchdown on the opening drive that made it 7-0 and was the start of a 19-point fourth quarter for the Eagles. Despite Giller and the Owl offense regaining the lead with the quarterback's three-yard touchdown run and still 8:30 left in the fourth, Phommachanh wasted no time giving his team the lead back with a 39-yard touchdown run only 1:59 later, but freshman defensive back Kyle Scott blocked the Hawkins extra-point attempt, keeping it at just a three-point contest, 33-30.

However, the next two drives led by Giller ended with interceptions from freshman defensive back Jazaire Aurelus and graduate safety Ajay Morrison, with a 67-yard touchdown run from White mixed in between to help ice the game for the Eagles. Giller finished going 14-for-22 passing with 213 passing yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and was sacked twice. The 39-30 win over Southern Connecticut marked the first time they have beaten their in-state rival and the first time they have started the season with a 2-0 record. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Finding the end zone for three rushing touchdowns, Tyler Phommachanh set the new single-game record for rushing touchdowns in a game after being tied for the record with his two against West Virginia Wesleyan College along with three other Eagles -- As a team, Post had four rushing touchdowns which was the second-most in a single game in program history and 43 rushing attempts which was the third-most for a single game
• Omar Tillman tied for the program record in single-game sacks, recording 1.5 sacks in the win, tying Zachary Jones' 1.5 sacks against Southern Connecticut back on October 28th, 2023
• As a team, Post University set the new single-game rushing yards record with 252 on the afternoon, surpassing the record they set two weeks ago against West Virginia Wesleyan College when they had 228 rushing yards in their 51-14 victory at home
• Adonis White finished the game with 146 rushing yards on 20 carries with one touchdown -- The 146 rushing yards for White were the second-most for a single game in program history behind only Isaiah Emmanuel's 160 rushing yards against Franklin Pierce University on October 21st, 2023 
• Post's offense put up the third-most points in program history for a game with 38 on the day, as well as the second-most total yards of offense with 427, behind only their 457-yard performance against Lock Haven on September 3rd, 2022
• Ending the day with 256 all-purpose yards, Israel Hiraldo had the third-most all-purpose yards for a single game in program history behind only a pair of Joshua Tracey performances from last year, in which he went for 311 yards against West Virginia Wesleyan College and 268 yards against Pace
• Hayden Hall recorded the second-longest punt in program history with a 62-yarder, trailing only a 68-yard punt by Aden Caine against Bentley University on September 16th, 2023 

WHO'S NEXT
Playing their first road game of the season, Post University will head to Pace University next Saturday afternoon at 12:00 PM to take on the Setters in their first Northeast-10 Conference game of the year. The Eagles are 0-3 in the all-time series against Pace; however, they fell in the final minute to them last season at home, 23-21, on a game-winning field goal by Dylan Squillacioti from 27 yards out.