In the first quarter of its 35-0 win over Marquette (Wis.) at home Saturday, Loyola surrendered eight yards, allowed two first downs and forced two turnovers.
Not bad for a defense that returned only one starter.
It was a bold statement that suggested Loyola (1-0) isn’t ready to let go of its label as a defense-first program.
“The defense didn’t miss a beat,” senior defensive tackle Ben LeRoy said. “We showed we can be just as good as we’ve been in the past.”
The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Northern Illinois recruit is the lone starter back to the unit. On Saturday, LeRoy was in on three sacks and also hurried Marquette senior quarterback Jack Dwyer into an incompletion. The Ramblers led 35-0 at intermission.
But it was senior linebacker Cross Daffada who stole the spotlight from LeRoy. In his first varsity start and playing a new position, Daffada was in on three sacks, had a tackle for loss and an interception.
“He has such great feet and tenacity,” Loyola coach John Holecek said of Daffada, who converted from defensive lineman. “He’s an explosive kid and tough as nails.”
Holecek said he was happy with what he saw from the new-look defense, save for Marquette’s first series. The Hilltoppers (1-1) gained eight, four, four and 11 yards on their first four plays before Daffada’s interception.
“That was a little scary to me,” Holecek said. “But we had the opportunity to make a play, and we did.”
Loyola got good performances from its front seven, which harried the Hilltoppers into having 11 plays for a loss in the first two quarters.
More Top Picks Best Spice Subscription Boxes
Senior linebacker John Shannon seemed to always be around the ball, and the defensive line put plenty of pressure on Dwyer, who a week earlier went 17 for 21 for 242 yards and four touchdowns in a 40-13 win over Division 3 state champion Wisconsin Lutheran.
“When our defensive line smells blood in the water, they’re coming,” said Holecek, whose defense had six sacks in the first half.
In nine defensive possessions in the first half, Loyola forced five three-and-outs, two turnovers and two turnovers on downs.
“We felt prepared,” Daffada said. “The coaches put us in the right position to make plays. They told us to do our job and everything will be OK. It’s the same old Loyola defense.”
Loyola Notes
* Senior running back Dara Laja ran 11 times for 37 yards and scored three touchdowns in two quarters of work. His backfield teammate, senior Jack Loper, carried the ball six times for 46 yards. Senior quarterback Emmett Clifford went 7 for 11 for 80 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions.
* Loyola travels to play Maine South at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4. It’s the first meeting between the two schools in the regular season. They have played each other five times in the state playoffs, including four in Class 8A since 2008. The last time the two teams met was in the 2013 quarterfinals, with the Ramblers earning a 35-0 win.
Twitter: @harnesspreps