Manual unfortunately couldn't capitalize on their home-field advantage in their season opener. They were dealt a 71-22 loss at the hands of the Normal University Pioneers on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Rams can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 380th, while the Pioneers are ranked 152nd).
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Normal University to victory, but perhaps none more so than Cade Cunningham, who picked up 202 receiving yards and three TDs, and also rushed for 46 yards. Another back making a difference was Rhett Lynch, who gained 138 total yards and four touchdowns.
Looking ahead, Manual will hit the road for the first time this season to square off against Richwoods at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. This will be the Rams' first chance to prove their worth in the conference. As for Normal University, they will welcome Bloomington at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
