Jacobs forced Hampshire to endure a running clock in the season opener last year.

It was a much different scenario in this year's Fox Valley Conference matchup before a standing-room only crowd Friday night in Hampshire. Instead of a 50-point runaway, the Golden Eagles saw their lead sliced to only six points with 6:56 to play.

But Jacobs used the legs of senior Jacob Mobeck, junior Evan Fridae and sophomore Nasir Canty to eat up 5:40 on a 12-play, 81-yard scoring drive that wrapped up a 25-12 victory.

"That was a heck of a drive to seal the victory," said Jacobs' coach Bill Mitz after Canty's 9-yard insurance touchdown with 1:10 to play.

"We all came through as a brotherhood," Mobeck said, "and kept pushing through until the very last minute."

Mobeck (17 carries for 111 yards) had a 4-yard touchdown to give the Golden Eagles an 18-0 lead 5:03 before halftime. Canty (12 carries for 94 yards) put up the first points of the season from 12 yards out in the first quarter.

"Our running backs are probably the strongest guys on the team and the most powerful," Mobeck said. "Our ability to run through people is what saved us there."

Jacobs also displayed its offensive diversity in the first half as senior Cole Bhardwaj (8 for 13 for 105 yards) and junior Max Stec hooked up five times for 76 yards. A beautiful play-action fake on fourth-and-2 led to a 4-yard TD reception for Stec on the final play of the first quarter.

But Hampshire wasn't going to let a repeat of last year's 50-0 loss happen after Jacobs scored the first three touchdowns. Senior fullback Evan Andresen broke a series of tackles for a 45-yard score 2:36 before intermission and Neil Sakolari's interception at his team's 15 kept the deficit at 18-6 at halftime.

"It was good to see," said Hampshire coach Jake Brosman. "We reacted much better this year to some adversity than we did in the past."

That was evident after Jacobs' Travis Turner returned a punt 61 yards to the Hampshire 4-yard line on the last play of the third quarter.

A fumbled snap and false start made it fourth-and-goal at the 6, and Daniel Chojnowski stopped Bhardwaj's pass to Riley Anderson 3 yards shy of the end zone. Two plays later, Hampshire senior quarterback Jackson Milison (8 for 13 for 105 yards) hit Shandon Suma for 42 yards.

Then, on fourth-and-1 at the Jacobs' 44, Milison escaped a tackle just behind the line of scrimmage and broke free to the left sideline and into the end zone.

"I think I got a key block from Evan, and I just had my head down most of the time," Milison said. "It was just grit and determination. We had to get a high point in the game."

But Jacobs made sure that would be the final one for Hampshire.

"My hat's off to them," Mitz said of Hampshire. "In the third quarter, we only had the ball for three plays. The third quarter was tough because they got a couple of first downs, and we didn't have the ball. You can't get in a rhythm with three plays in the third quarter."

STAR OF THE GAME

Jacob Mobeck

Jacobs, Sr. RB-LB

Mobeck rushed for a game-high 111 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. His 4-yard score put Jacobs up 18-0 and he had 6 carries for 39 yards on a game-sealing 81-yard touchdown drive in the final 6:50.

QUICK STATS

Jacobs 12 6 0 7 - 25

Hampshire 0 6 0 6 - 12

1st quarter

J - Canty 12 run (kick failed), 4:50

J - Stec 4 pass from Bhardwaj (pass failed), 0:00

2nd quarter

J - J. Mobeck 4 run (pass failed), 5:03

H - Andresen 45 run (kick failed), 2:36

4th quarter

H - Milison 44 run (run failed), 6:56

J - Canty 9 run (Krahl kick), 1:10