Zander Horvath Scores First NFL Touchdown With Los Angeles Chargers
Former Purdue football player Zander Horvath scored a touchdown in his first NFL regular season game as a rookie with the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. The Chargers went on to win 24-19 against the Las Vegas Raiders, an AFC West division rival, to open the season.
We’ve got a #ProBoilers TOUCHDOWN! @zhorvath_ - 1st career game, 1st TD of the season for the @chargers ⚡️
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) September 11, 2022
📺 CBS
pic.twitter.com/tS55lJ4tYr
Another look at @zhorvath_'s 1st career @NFL TD
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) September 11, 2022
📺 CBS | #ProBoilers pic.twitter.com/bCGAwIf8U3
Chargers starting quarterback Justin Herbert faked a handoff to running back Austin Ekeler, allowing Horvath to dart toward the left sideline and find himself wide open for a one-yard reception to take a 10-3 lead with 9:34 left to play in the first half.
The short-yardage score by Horvath capped off a six-play, 67-yard drive. Los Angeles went into halftime leading 17-3 after Herbert found wide receiver DeAndre Carter for a 23-yard touchdown with just 35 seconds left to play in the second quarter.
Horvath — a seventh-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft — finished the game with three total touches, which went for eight yards and the score.
During his college career with the Boilermakers, Horvath carried the ball 268 times for 1,181 yards and eight touchdowns. He also added 68 receptions for 592 yards and one score in the passing game.
Horvath won the starting fullback job with the Chargers after the preseason by beating out third-year pro Gabe Nabers out of Florida State.
The Los Angeles Chargers will look to add another win to its record when the team goes on the road for a game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, Sept. 15. The matchup is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Horvath and former Purdue star George Karlaftis, a first-round draft pick by the Chiefs, will face off when the two teams clash.
D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.