Article

An Opportunity Missed

Mavericks fight back from 13 down in the final quarter to force overtime, but blocked field goal ends hopes of MSU victory.

by Kaleb Roedel
Issue date: 10/17/06 Section: Mens Sports

After battling back from a 13-0 fourth quarter deficit and tying the game with the University of Minnesota Duluth, the Minnesota State football team found itself in overtime, five-yards away from igniting a much-needed victory cigar.

Loaded with a first down, MSU strayed from pounding the ball with the running game - a tactic that had been working all day - and instead attempted three failed pass plays, defaulting to the potential game-tying field goal try.

But as a brisk breeze blew through Blakeslee Stadium, Minnesota State's victory chances were huffed out after Ben Spencer's 22-yard field goal attempt was blocked, leaving MSU on the losing end of a 16-13 overtime bout.

"That's about as disheartening of a loss as any I've been involved in," said MSU head coach Jeff Jamrog. "It feels like someone took a baseball bat to your gut."

Despite moving the ball well on offense, including 265 yards on the ground, the crux of the Mavericks' woes came from four costly first-half turnovers as MSU coughed up the ball on two interceptions and two fumbles.

"We moved the ball real easy," said senior quarterback Josh Bryant. "But if you turn the ball over four times in the first half, you're not going to put up any points."

Taking advantage of those turnovers, the Bulldogs struck first with a 2-yard touchdown from Keith Bizzle. Following a field goal in the second quarter, MSU trailed 10-0 moving into halftime.

"We played a terrible first half," Jamrog said.

With failed offensive production, the Mavericks looked to their defense in the second half to hold the Bulldogs and give MSU a chance to battle back.

Allowing only a field goal in the third quarter, MSU held the momentum in the fourth quarter and orchestrated its comeback.

"Everybody kept their head up and kept fighting," said junior defensive end Telema Bobmanuel.

Fresh off a 66-yard drive, the Mavericks christened the fourth quarter with some trickery when Bryant flipped a two-yard pass to offensive tackle Adrian Battles off a tackle-screen, closing the gap to 13-7 after Spencer's extra point.

While the MSU defense continued to bat away balls and frisk for loose fumbles, none of which ended in their hands, the Maverick offense set up two field goals for Ben Spencer, including the game-tying 36-yarder with 5:11 remaining to push the game to overtime at 13-13.

Following UMD's first possession field goal, Blakeslee Stadium was brewing for the Mavericks to end the game on a touchdown.

But when the game fell on Ben Spencer's foot for a routine 22-yarder, it appeared that a second overtime and another MSU opportunity was on its way.

The Bulldogs' Tyler Yelk made the game-clinching block as the ball ricocheted off his facemask.

"In my mind, I thought the kick was good," Spencer said. "But then I heard a second thud. That's never a sound you want to hear as a kicker."

MSU finished the game with 353 yards on total offense to UMD's 201, but the glaring statistic was the Mavericks five turnovers to the Bulldogs' zero.

"We had our hands on a number of interception chances and fumbles we didn't get," Jamrog said. "That's the bounces, that's the breaks you need to get over the hump, and they (UMD) got them."

The Mavericks play at St. Cloud State, who will also be looking for their first NCC victory, 1 p.m. Saturday.

Kaleb Roedel is a Reporter staff writer