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Page address: https://web.mnsu.edu/sports/touchdownclub/news/html/streak_ends.html

Streak Ends at Two: Football Loses Finale

by Kaleb Roedel
Issue date: 11/14/06 Section: Mens Sports

With the temperature teetering at freezing, Blakeslee Stadium filled warm with cheers after Minnesota State knotted the score with Western Washington at 14 all three seconds before the end of the first half. A pivotal score, as the Mavericks would receive the football to start the third quarter.

Or so they thought.

Much to MSU's surprise, WWU opened up the second half with an onside kick they recovered. This set up the Vikings' go-ahead score as quarterback Adam Perry connected with Craig Garner on a 30-yard touchdown pass; one of the crucial plays that helped the Vikings top the Mavericks 35-21 Saturday.

"It would've helped the program to finish on a three-game winning streak," MSU head coach Jeff Jamrog said. "I feel bad for our seniors. We didn't come out and play; that was not the Maverick football team of the second half of the season."

One player that did "come out and play" was senior wide out Tyrell Smith. He hauled in a career-high 11 catches to close out his career at MSU.

The Mavericks, coming off two consecutive wins, opened the game with momentum riding high.

Senior quarterback Ben King connected with four different receivers on MSU's opening drive, the final pass finding Tory Chapell in the back of the end zone to cap an eight-play, 49-yard drive. After Ben Spencer's extra point was blocked, the Mavericks held a 6-0 advantage.

Western Washington, also coming off a two-game winning streak, quickly responded as Craig Garner galloped in a 43-yard touchdown run to give the Vikings a 7-6 lead with 5:51 remaining in the first quarter.

After several punt exchanges between MSU's Josh Christensen and WWU's Corbin Anderson, the Vikings broke out when Perry feathered a 24-yard pass to the end zone that was snagged by the left hand of Casey Dell to give WWU a 14-6 edge.

The Mavericks answered with a scoring drive of their own, ending in a 4-yard pass from King to Josh Bryant with three seconds remaining in the second quarter.

The combo hooked up again on the two-point conversion, tying the game14-14 at halftime.

But christening the second half came the Vikings' onside kick and eventual go-ahead touchdown.

"That was a gusty call to start the half with that pooch kick," Jamrog said. "That was a huge turn in the game."

Huge turn aside, the Mavericks retaliated with King firing a 41-yard strike to Chris Nolin in the corner of the end zone, capping a nine-play, 67-yard drive to tie the game at 21.

But in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks failed to show up on either sides of the ball while the Vikings ran on all cylinders.

Western Washington initiated the final frame with a 6-yard touchdown option run from Perry to go up 28-21.

After MSU's ensuing possession resulted in a punt, the Vikings took advantage with Garner scoring his third touchdown of the day on a 5-yard run to push the gap to 35-21.

"Defensively, it was very disappointing," Jamrog said. "We gave up way too many runs and quick passes."

And King, who had a send-off performance of 335 yards and three touchdowns, couldn't click with his receivers when it was needed the most.

After three straight incomplete passes, the Mavericks faced fourth-and-10 on the Viking 30-yard line when King's pass to Bryant was broken up, yielding possession to WWU with 5:59 remaining.

The Vikings sealed the game by running the clock to zeroes with a series of first downs.

"We just didn't make many plays in the second half," King said. "Their defense did a great job all game long. You got to tip your cap to them."

Although he and his senior counterparts didn't exit Blakeslee Stadium for the last time with a victory, Smith was able to look back and smile on his experience as a Maverick football player.

"The ball didn't play our way this time, but I don't mind going out like this," Smith said. "There has always been a desire and want to win no matter what our record was. Everybody goes out there and rips it up and that's one thing that will never change about Maverick football."

Kaleb Roedel is a Reporter staff writer