BOURBONNAIS, IL - In a high-scoring thriller on October 3, 2026, in Bourbonnais, Illinois, the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils fell just short in a 34-31 defeat against #18 Olivet Nazarene University. Lawrence Tech built an early lead, taking a 7-0 advantage in the first quarter and extending it to 21-10 by halftime. The Blue Devils pushed their lead to 31-24 by the end of the third quarter, but Olivet Nazarene mounted a fourth-quarter comeback, scoring 10 unanswered points to claim the victory. With the loss, Lawrence Tech moved to 3-2 on the season, while Olivet Nazarene remained undefeated at 4-0.
Statistically, Lawrence Tech held the edge in total offense with 417 yards on 70 plays compared to Olivet Nazarene's 406 yards on 66 plays, while also winning the first-down battle 27 to 21. Quarterback Ryan Schuster led the Blue Devils' passing attack, completing 20 of 40 passes for 290 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, while also adding 51 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Jon Jasionowski spearheaded the ground game with 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. In the receiving corps, Tyler Garrett caught six passes for a team-high 100 yards, and Ethan Fisher added 75 yards and a touchdown on three receptions, including a 49-yard long catch. On defense, Darren Hawkins delivered a standout performance with nine solo tackles, a sack, and an interception, supported by Justin Greer-Sykes with seven tackles. However, two lost fumbles proved costly for Lawrence Tech in the narrow loss.
The Blue Devils will look ahead to their next match up, next Saturday as they travel to Chicago to take on Saint Xavire University with kickoff set for 12pm.
