Nova Raptors 34, Citadel Rams 30
Week 2 · Regular season · round 10 · Tuesday 6 October 2026
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVA Nova Raptors | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| CTD Citadel Rams | 3 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 30 |
Game recap
The Nova Raptors beat the Citadel Rams 34-30 in round 10 of Week 2, and they needed every second to do it. The decisive score was a 7-yard touchdown pass from Axel Stroud to Bram Thorne with 0:16 left in the fourth quarter. Few expected it: the pregame odds gave the Raptors a 37% chance.
The Rams opened the scoring with a 39-yard field goal by Adrien Garrow with 1:10 left in the first quarter. The Raptors led 17-6 at halftime. In the fourth quarter: a 24-yard field goal by Adrien Garrow for the Rams (2:20 left, 27-9); a 15-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Orson Ashford for the Rams (1:57 left, 27-16); a 5-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Orson Ashford for the Rams (1:02 left, 27-23); a 4-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Calvin Booker for the Rams (0:45 left, 30-27); a 7-yard touchdown pass from Axel Stroud to Bram Thorne for the Raptors (0:16 left, 34-30).
The biggest swing of the game came with 0:16 left in the fourth quarter: a 7-yard touchdown pass from Axel Stroud to Bram Thorne. It moved the Raptors' chance of winning from 63% to 91%.
The standout was Bram Thorne (WR, Raptors), with 8 catches for 73 yards and 3 TD. Elsewhere, Augustin Mercer-Hale (Rams) had 26 of 37 passing for 298 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 1 carry for 6 yards; Calvin Booker (Rams) had 16 carries for 84 yards; 6 catches for 82 yards and 1 TD; Orson Ashford (Rams) had 7 catches for 90 yards and 2 TD; Axel Stroud (Raptors) had 27 of 38 passing for 289 yards, 3 TD; 1 carry for 7 yards.
Before kickoff, the Rams' game plan was on offense: attack the zones, stay underneath, target Orson Ashford; on defense: bracket Zion Whitaker (Orson Ashford finished with 7 catches for 90 yards and 2 TD). Meanwhile, the Raptors' game plan was on offense: attack the zones, throw it more, target Zion Whitaker; on defense: bracket Desmond Ashcroft (Zion Whitaker finished with 10 catches for 132 yards).
The Rams move to 8-2 and the Raptors to 7-3 this week.
Scoring summary
| Time | Team | Play | NVA-CTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 1:10 | Rams | A 39-yard field goal by Adrien Garrow | 0-3 |
| Q1 0:09 | Raptors | A 3-yard touchdown pass from Axel Stroud to Bram Thorne | 7-3 |
| Q2 1:53 | Rams | A 38-yard field goal by Adrien Garrow | 7-6 |
| Q2 0:50 | Raptors | A 29-yard field goal by Adrien Norcross | 10-6 |
| Q2 0:07 | Raptors | An 8-yard touchdown pass from Axel Stroud to Bram Thorne | 17-6 |
| Q3 1:23 | Raptors | A 50-yard field goal by Adrien Norcross | 20-6 |
| Q3 0:06 | Raptors | A 2-yard touchdown run by Nils Coventry | 27-6 |
| Q4 2:20 | Rams | A 24-yard field goal by Adrien Garrow | 27-9 |
| Q4 1:57 | Rams | A 15-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Orson Ashford | 27-16 |
| Q4 1:02 | Rams | A 5-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Orson Ashford | 27-23 |
| Q4 0:45 | Rams | A 4-yard touchdown pass from Augustin Mercer-Hale to Calvin Booker | 27-30 |
| Q4 0:16 | Raptors | A 7-yard touchdown pass from Axel Stroud to Bram Thorne | 34-30 |
Team stats
| NVA | CTD | |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 443 | 419 |
| Passing yards | 289 | 298 |
| Rushing yards | 154 | 121 |
| Completions | 27 of 38 | 26 of 37 |
| Offensive plays | 69 | 61 |
| Third downs | 7 of 11 | 1 of 7 |
| Fourth downs | — | — |
| Turnovers | 3 | 3 |
| Sacks allowed | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 5:59 | 6:01 |
Nova Raptors box score
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axel Stroud | 27/38 | 289 | 3 | 0 |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omari Fenn | 24 | 110 | 0 | 13 |
| Nils Coventry | 4 | 30 | 1 | 14 |
| Axel Stroud | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Tariq Achebe | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | YDS | TD | TGT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zion Whitaker | 10 | 132 | 0 | 14 |
| Ivo Norcross | 6 | 80 | 0 | 8 |
| Bram Thorne | 8 | 73 | 3 | 11 |
| Omari Fenn | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Defense
| Player | TK | SK | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zane Eriksen | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Quentin Brennan | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bastien Montague | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pavel Sandoval | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Quentin Norcross | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kasimir Oyelaran | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | FG | LNG | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adrien Norcross | 2/2 | 50 | 0/0 |
Citadel Rams box score
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustin Mercer-Hale | 26/37 | 298 | 3 | 1 |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin Booker | 16 | 84 | 0 | 18 |
| Ulric Draven | 5 | 31 | 0 | 18 |
| Augustin Mercer-Hale | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | YDS | TD | TGT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orson Ashford | 7 | 90 | 2 | 12 |
| Calvin Booker | 6 | 82 | 1 | 7 |
| Desmond Ashcroft | 7 | 56 | 0 | 8 |
| Ivo Yardley | 4 | 45 | 0 | 7 |
Defense
| Player | TK | SK | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrus Ingram | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gideon Falkner | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bastien Yardley | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Valen Oyelaran | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pavel Falkner | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bram Brennan | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | FG | LNG | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adrien Garrow | 3/3 | 39 | 0/0 |
Watch the replay
Every play of this game can be replayed on the big screen, with the play calls, the win probability and the commentary: replay Nova Raptors 34, Citadel Rams 30 on Snapline. More about the teams: Citadel Rams · Nova Raptors.