Offense Struggles as No. 13 Grizzlies Fall to No. 5 Garden City at Home

**NOTE – Garden City played its first seven games with an ineligible player and was forced to forfeit all of its wins. The game vs. Butler now goes down as a 1-0 Grizzly win.**

EL DORADO, Kan. – No. 13 Butler football was shut out in the second half as they fell 21-10 to No. 5 Garden City at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on Saturday night.

The Grizzly (3-3, 2-1) offense struggled all evening, tallying just 217 yards of offense as the Broncbusters (6-1, 4-0) earned their fifth straight win.

Click here for Butler head coach Brice Vignery's postgame press conference

As has been the case all season, Butler used multiple quarterbacks in the game with starter Mason McHugh exiting the game with an injury for a second straight week. Freshman Jayson Zardavets took over at the beginning of the second quarter and completed the game finishing 9-of-21 through the air with 89 passing yards, two interceptions and one touchdown.

The first score of the game came with 6:14 to go in the second quarter as Garden City made it 7-0 with running back Dejuan Lacy catching a pass in the flat from quarterback Liam Oczkowski and taking it 54 yards for a touchdown, breaking several tackles along the way.

The very next drive it seemed as if the Grizzly offense awoke as Zardavets underthrew a deep route to receiver Cam Harris that Harris came back for, making the catch and running by a fallen down Broncbuster defender for a 53-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven. It was Butler's longest passing play of the season.

The Broncbusters put together another scoring drive in the second quarter, this one a seven play, 46-yard touchdown drive that was capped by Lacy's second touchdown of the night, this one a four-yard rush to make it 14-7. Lacy finished with 29 rushes for 115 yards as well as two receptions for 58 yards. Wide receiver Zac Dyer led Garden City with seven receptions for 83 yards.

Harris set Butler up with good field position on a 39-yard kick return which led to the Grizzlies adding points right before half on an Aidan Battle field goal with 26 seconds remaining to make it 14-10. It was the last points of the night for Butler.

The Grizzly defense battled valiantly, holding the Garden City offense 72 yards under their rushing yards per game average (318.5) and 25 points under their points per game average of 46.0. Butler's defense allowed just one second half touchdown to Garden City but it proved to be enough for the Busters.

Butler had six second half possessions with four ending in punts, the other two interceptions. For the game the Grizzlies punted on 10 of their 14 drives.

Garden City put together a 9-play, 93-yard touchdown drive to open the fourth quarter that saw quarterback Tyler Nelson run in an 11-yard touchdown to make it 21-10.

Sophomore linebacker Landon Boss finished with eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry. Fellow linebacker Jamarcus Presley led Butler with 10 tackles including a tackle for loss. The Grizzly defense racked up eight tackles for loss while Seven Cloud blocked a Garden City field goal in the fourth quarter.

Butler heads to Hutchinson next Saturday to take on the No. 1 Blue Dragons at noon from Gowans Stadium.

NOTES:

• Garden City has won two straight in the series and now lead the all-time series 45-42-3.
• Garden City is 9-2 vs. Butler dating back to 2015, the first season after Butler hall of fame coach Troy Morrell's retirement.
• Butler is 0-3 at home this season.