FOOTBALL DROPS OVERTIME THRILLER TO EASTERN WASHINGTON, 42-35
10/22/2011
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jordan Talley scored from 1-yard out on the first possession of overtime to give Eastern Washington a 42-35 come-from-behind victory over Sacramento State, Saturday in front of 10,705 at Hornet Stadium.
The loss dropped the Hornets to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles, which won the Football Championship Subdivision national title last season, improved to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in league play while winning their fourth consecutive game.
Sacramento State never trailed in the game until the overtime period. The Hornets built a 28-13 lead in the third quarter following Stephen Tezanos-Pinto's 1-yard run with 3:07 left in the period.
EWU stormed back in the fourth, outscoring the Hornets, 22-7. Nicholas Edwards caught touchdown passes of 16 and 39-yards and Greg Herd caught a 2-point conversion on the latter touchdown to tie the game at 28-28 with 8:13 left.
Sacramento State responded with a 10-play, 70-yard drive which was capped by an 8-yard pass from Tommy Edwards to tight end DJ Maciel. The Eagles matched the score when Edwards made a diving catch in the back of the end zone with 55 seconds left for a 22-yard touchdown.
The Hornets had some life in the closing seconds as Sam McCowan rushed 43 yards to take the ball to the EWU 27-yard line with two seconds remaining. Sacramento State opted to try a 44-yard field goal from Jason Diniz but the kick sailed wide right forcing overtime.
Once in the extra period, Sacramento State won the coin toss and chose to go on defense first. Bo Levi Mitchell competed two passes to take the ball to the 1-yard line before Tally scored on his second attempt.
Sacramento State moved the ball to the the EWU 3 on a pass from Edwards to Morris Norrise. Facing fourth-and-goal, Edwards threw to the middle of the end zone but the pass went through his hands of a leaping John Hendershott to end the game.
Sacramento State took an early lead in the game, scoring on its opening drive with a 5-yard run from Bryan Hilliard. EWU answered with a 35-yard pass to Edwards before Garrett Safron rushed for a 14-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.
A pair of Mike Jarrett field goals gave the Hornets a 14-13 lead and the team added to it early in the second half when Edwards connected with a wide-open Brandyn Reed for a 63-yard touchdown down the left sideline.
The two teams combined for 1,001 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns. Sacramento State, which rotated Safron and Edwards at quarterback in place of the injured Jeff Fleming, amassed a season high 545 yards.
Individually, Edwards was 18-of-26 for 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Safron did most of his damage on the ground. The redshirt freshman carried the ball 15 times for 100 yards. His performance is believed to be the first 100-yard rushing effort by a QB in school history.
Sacramento State rushed for 313 yards as a team, its highest effort since gaining 325 against Idaho State on Nov. 17, 2007.
Nine different Hornet receivers combined to catch the team's 19 completions. Norrise and DeAndre Carter each had four catches to lead the team.
Mitchell completed 29-of-45 passes for 357 yards and four touchdowns. Each of the scoring strikes went to Edwards who finished with 11 grabs for 192 yards. Quincy Forte was the team's leading rusher with 87 yards and 11 attempts.
Cody McCarthy led all players with 12 total tackles for Eastern Washington.
Sacramento State will next host Northern Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 6:05 p.m.
NOTES:Sam McCowan averaged 20.0 yards per rush on four attempts…Fleming had started the last 16 games for the Hornets…Tezanos-Pinto recorded his first career rushing touchdown…both Edwards and Safron had never taken a snap at Sacramento State…after 10 combined fumbles at Northern Colorado, neither team fumbled tonight…EWU improved to 11-0 all-time at Hornet Stadium.
