Article

Just Out of Reach

Minnesota State takes a tie game to the fourth quarter against No. 17 UNO but falls on a late touchdown, 21-14.

by Kaleb Roedel
Issue date: 10/3/06 Section: Mens Sports

Homecoming game. Minnesota State ball on its own 19 yard line. Trailing conference leaders, Nebraska-Omaha, 21-14. Two minutes to go.

The stage was set.

But, almost fittingly, an MSU turnover closed the curtain on its 12-play drive after Ben King was picked off by Randy Kush with 30 seconds left, sealing the deal for UNO.

The game-clinching interception was one of five MSU turnovers. UNO committed just one.

"That's something we talked about, winning that turnover battle," said MSU head coach Jeff Jamrog. "When you go minus-four in turnovers, you're not going to win many football games."

Turnovers aside, the Mavericks were also outdone in the play-making battle.

With the score knotted at 14 in the fourth quarter, UNO scored on a broken play in which quarterback Zach Miller scrambled nine yards for the go-ahead score.

"Great teams make great plays down the stretch and UNO certainly did," Jamrog said. "When their offense needed a score in that fourth quarter, we didn't stop them. And when we needed a touchdown and had a chance to get it, we shot ourselves in the foot."

Senior quarterback Ben King agreed with his coach's analysis.

"When we were in position to make plays, most of the time I don't think we did," King said. "We had our chances to get points, but turnovers killed us."

MSU, however, started the game exchanging punches with the NCC conference leaders like rival prizefighters.

UNO missed a scoring opportunity, fumbling though the end zone for a touchback. MSU countered with a 12-play scoring drive - highlighted by a fake field where King, the holder, threw a 17-yard strike to Ernest Walker - that was capped off by a Julian Phipps one yard touchdown run. UNO quickly responded as quarterback Zach Miller took an option play 77 yards down the sideline for a score, tying the game at 7.

After an MSU punt, UNO took 19-plays to get down the field 98 yards for the go-ahead touchdown heading into halftime.

On the final play of the third quarter, set up by Bryan Alberty's diving catch at the 1-yard line, MSU tied the game at 14 after King connected with fullback Dan Smedberg.

But in the fourth quarter, when it's needed the most, MSU lacked that play-making ability.

With MSU facing third-and five, King's pass to Brian Daulton was dropped; setting up Nebraska-Omaha's game winning drive.

"I'm proud as hell in the way our guys competed and battled," Jamrog said. "We wanted to take the next step and get back in the conference race, but we didn't."

The Mavericks (2-3, 0-2 NCC) travel to third-ranked North Dakota Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.

Kaleb Roedel is a Reporter staff writer