St. Francis (Pa.) claimed a 23-17 victory over Kent State on Saturday, with Jeff Hoenstine making impactful contributions. Hoenstine secured the win by throwing one touchdown pass and scoring another himself. His short touchdown run in the first quarter gave St. Francis a 10-0 lead, followed by a 64-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Thomson in the second quarter, expanding the lead to 17-0.

Although Kent State managed to narrow the gap to 20-14 by halftime through touchdown passes from Devin Kargman and backup QB Tommy Ulatowski, they struggled to score again until Andrew Glass’s 44-yard field goal in the final moments of the game. St. Francis (1-1) seized victory by recovering the onside kick and running down the clock.

Hoenstine, completing 11 of 22 passes for 195 yards, orchestrated the offense alongside DeMarcus McElroy and Markell Holman, who were the primary ball carriers for the Red Flash. The team amassed 207 rushing yards on 47 carries, with McElroy leading at 81 yards, Holman at 76, and Hoenstine adding 50. Thomson was a standout receiver with five catches for 124 yards.

Kargman of Kent State went 22-of-38 passing for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Ulatowski connected on his sole pass for a 9-yard touchdown to Chrishon McCray. St. Francis further solidified their lead with three field goals from Mac Plummer.