Rochester has gone a perfect 7-0 against Normal University recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Rockets will head out to face off against the Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 878 yards in their previous games.
Last Friday, Rochester and Glenwood were almost perfectly matched up, but Rochester suffered a 43-42 loss. The loss was the Rockets' first of the season.
JP Leonard
| 09/19/25 vs Glenwood | 270 |
| 09/12/25 vs Lincoln | 171 |
| 08/30/25 vs Gibson Southern | 166 |
| 09/05/25 @ Mt. Zion | 26 |
Rochester might have lost, but man, Kaiden Stout was a machine: he picked up 131 receiving yards and one TD, and also rushed for 53 yards. JP Leonard was another key player, having thrown for 270 yards and two touchdowns.
Rochester didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Tanner Beal and Brooks Gavin. Gavin got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Normal University's strategy against Lincoln on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Pioneers blew the Railsplitters out of the water with a 47-0 final score. The victory continues a trend for the Pioneers in their matchups with the Railsplitters: they've now won three in a row.
Normal University's win came from a few key players Rochester will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Cade Cunningham, who picked up 127 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Owen Kirby, who threw for 211 yards and three TDs while completing 81% of his passes.
Having lost for the first time this season, Rochester fell to 3-1. As for Normal University, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
Rochester beat Normal University 38-30 in their previous meeting back in September of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Pioneers' Alek Weiland, who threw for 410 yards and four touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Rockets to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
