Sweet Victory.
Flawed, perhaps. Not encouraging perhaps. But, nonetheless, the 600+-day home losing dought and the five-game losing streak overall are now over. BG has won a football game.
Like all of the FCS games of the Jinks era, it came down to the final play.
The game certainly did not start off like it was going to end this way. In fact, BG started the game like you would have expected them to start playing Oregon. EKU
BG got the opening kickoff and made a couple first downs before they got behind the chains and then sacked and had to punt. EKU started on their own 31 following a 25-yard BG punt and proceeded to unload an 11-play drive to get the opening TD. They converted a 3rd and 6 and a 3rd and 7 on the drive and were up 7-0.
BG's offense responded with a 3 and out and then EKU went on a 7-play, all running drive for 59 yards to take a 14-0 lead.
Coach seemed to dismiss these drives in the post-game presser, saying, "they went on a couple long drives," but at this point the Colonels were in control of the game and BG was bending and breaking.
To their credit, BG did not stop playing. The offense got its mojo back and scored early in the 2nd to make it 14-7.
The Falcon defense responded next, getting EKU off the field with one first down. The offense went three and out but this time Timmerman nailed a 52-yard punt and the Colonel receiver muffed it while backing up, possibly in the sun, and BG recovered at the 19.
Two plays later Doege hit Morris to tie the game at 14.
On EKU's next drive they made a couple first downs and then fumbled and McBride picked the ball up and ran it to the EKU 22 and a couple plays later Andrew Clair scored and BG had a 21-14 lead.
The Falcons were unable to stand success however, and let EKU rip off a 68 yard run on the very first play from scrimmage. 21-21.
There were about five minutes left in the half. BG had the ball on what was shaping up to be an important drive. Aided by a key third-down DPI penalty, BG was able to score on a Doege-Phoutavong connection with less than a minute to play to go up 28-21.
EKU had the last possession of the half and actually drove to the BG 25 before missing a FG.
EKU got the ball and the defense forced them to a 3 and out. BG had the ball, and Doege was under pressure and tried a Brett-Farve-flick-pass and it was picked. (He's still a sophomore and not even through a full season). EKU converted that into the trying touchdown.
The teams traded a couple three and outs until EKU fumbled again late in the 3rd and BG converted Doege to Phoutavong again to take a 34-28 lead (extra point was missed on a poor snap).
EKU took the ball with about 3 minutes left in the 3rd near midfield after a big KOR. They scored 6 plays later to take a 35-34 lead into the 3rd quarter.
BG took the ball and appeared to be down to the EKU 13, before offensive pass interference stalled the drive and Doege pooched the ball deep in EKU territory.
EKU stalled on a penalty of their own and BG got the ball on its 35 with 9:11 to go. BG got to the 49 and then the key play of the game occurred. Phoutavong made a sideline tiptoe catch for 18 yards and there was roughing the passer on top of it and BG was on the 18 and then Morris caught the TD pass that gave BG the lead. BG went for 2 to go out 42-35.
EKU started its drive with 6:47 left. BG stuffed a 2nd down run to force the Colonels into a passing down and they had to punt.
BG took the ball with 4:37 left. Clearly, here, you'd like to run the game out, but that didn't happen. EKU used all three time outs, but BG failed to convert on 3rd and 2, had a penalty and then was sacked on 3rd and 13. BG got a 48 yard punt and EKU started on its 32 with 3:00 left.
They were forced to throw the ball--about 33% of the Colonel's passing attempts happened on the last drive. EKU converted a 4th and 4 in the first series, but BG seemed to have them under control with a sack back to the BG 44 with less than :30 left. But on the very next play EKU hit a 29-yard pass to the 15 with :11 left. They got two shots at the end zone. The second was was in the corner to their big TE and Brandon Harris was on the coverage. There was a lot of contact, but the officials let them play for the last play and the incomplete pass gave BG the victory.
Never easy. Down to the last play. But a win, nonetheless.
More to come.
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