WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – No. 1 Keiser University ran its win streak to 21 with a 56-21 win over the University of Pikeville on Saturday afternoon in the second round of the 2024 Football Championship Series.
 
The loss ends the season for the Bears at 6-6, having won six of their final eight games and the school's first postseason win since starting the varsity program in 2001.
 
The Seahawks took the opening kick and wasted no time in moving down the field. They needed 11 plays to move 75 yards, ending it with a nine-yard from by Jaden Meizinger. Nico Cavanillas kicked the extra point to make it 7-0 with 10:31 left in the period.
 
UPike responded late in the period with a 10-play, 56-yard drive. Kirkland delivered a strike into the end zone to Jalen Royal-Eiland for the final 12 yards. The kick by Austan Shuffler tied the game with 1:49 left.
 
Keiser charged down field in only three plays, ending it with a 5-yard keeper by Shae Spencer with 33 seconds to play in the first quarter.
 
The Seahawks then had a short field after a turnover, and Spencer found D'Andre Gordan for the final six yards to run the score to 21-7 with 12:36 left in the half.
 
The Bears found the end zone just before the two-minute timeout, ending a 15-play, 82-yard drive that took 6:55 off the clock. Kirkland flipped a pass to Amon Williams, who scampered nine yards for the score to make it 21-14 with 2:04 left.
 
But the Seahawks got it back before the break, as Spencer hit Elisha Edwards from 15 yards out to take a 28-14 lead to the break.
 
The teams traded scoreless possessions in the third period before the Seahawks found the end zone. It came when Andrew Burnette charged up the middle for the final 27 yards of a 93-yard drive to make it 35-14 with 4:47 left in the third.
 
Keiser added three touchdowns in the final frame to increase the spread. The first two came on Jaden Miller rushes of four and 58 yards, while backup quarterback Damari Charlton hit Edwards for a 19-yard score to wrap it up for their offense.
 
UPike had the ball one last time, and moved it 75 yards on six plays. The biggest was the penultimate one, as Kirkland hit Jordan Williams for 29 yards to the one.
 
And on the final play of his career, the graduate student kept from a yard out for the score.
 
Kirkland was 29-of-48 for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the rushing attack with 62 yards on 10 carries and the score.
 
The two-time AAC Offensive Player of the Year finished his career going 912-of-1475 for 9,841 yards and 103 touchdowns, all of the school records.
 
Jordan Williams hauled in six catches for 74 yards. Amon Williams wrapped up his freshman campaign with 67 yards on six catches and a touchdown while also rushing 11 times for 51 yards.
 
Caleb Anderson led the Bears on defense with 11 tackles, seven of them solos. Brett Coleman followed with seven.