Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – An improbable touchdown pass and a blocked field goal in the final two minutes allowed the SWOSU Football team to come away with a 20-17 triumph over Southern Nazarene to cap off Homecoming 2017.
Facing 4th and 10 at the SNU 30 less than two minutes to play, SWOSU quarterback
Tyler Marr broke the pocket and eluded pressure before heaving a pass down field for a receiver. The pass, however, was tipped up into the air and found the arms of a hustling
Kedron Banks, who carried it into the end zone for the go-ahead score with 1:24 to play.
That left enough time for the Crimson Storm to move into SWOSU territory and take a final shot. A pair of incomplete passes at the SWOSU 31 set up a 48-yard field goal for SNU's Carlos Anguiano with six seconds remaining on the clock. After timeouts from both teams, Bulldog senior defensive tackle
Tyler Follis broke through the line and blocked the Storm's final effort and secured the Homecoming victory.
"I feel pretty great right now," Follis said following the game, his final home contest at ASAP Energy Field. "It's a special night for sure and something that I'll cherish for the rest of my life."
The game was tied going into halftime before SWOSU take their first lead of the game with 3:34 to play in the third quarter, but SNU scored a controversial touchdown with 8:43 to take a 17-13 lead. Crimson Storm running back Nate Walker carried the ball down near the goal line and reached out for the score, but lost the ball and it was initially called a fumble and recovery by the Bulldogs. After the officiating crew got together, they ruled that Walker had in fact crossed the goal line and scored the go-ahead touchdown.
SWOSU drove down the field 61 yards in eight plays on their next drive, but it stalled when a fourth-down pass from
Tyler Marr to
JR Omigie fell to the ground in the end zone and gave possession back to SNU. The Bulldog defense forced a quick three-and-out, getting the ball back for the offense with 3:06 to play.
On that final drive, Marr found Omigie for a 37-yard gainer across midfield and into SNU territory, but the next three plays went nowhere and had the Dawgs facing 4th and 10, which was when Marr connected with Banks for the go-ahead score. Banks also had SWOSU's other touchdown in the game, a 13-yard scamper up the middle with 1:04 to play in the first half.
SWOSU rushed for 194 yards in the game, outgaining SNU by 20 yards on the grounds, while Marr threw for 234 yards and a touchdown to offset three interceptions in his first career start. The top target for Marr was
JR Omigie, who finished the game with seven receptions for a season-best 98 yards while
Jordan Jackson and
Jared Rayburn each hauled in five receptions.
Leading the Bulldog Defense was
Braden Sweet, who totaled seven tackles while
Dominic Blue had six stops and one of SWOSU's six tackles for loss.
TJ Harris had five tackles, one-half tackle for loss and his first interception as a Bulldog while
Dejai Johnson had two tackles for loss and
Terry McMillon finished with three pass breakups in his final home game.
The game also marked the final game at ASAP Energy Field for Head Coach
Dan Cocannouer, who was honored prior to the game and hoisted on the shoulders of his players after singing the Alma Mater. Cocannouer will retire from coaching after the season and he will depart as the fourth-winningest coach in Bulldog Football history.
"First off, words can't describe how I'm feeling right now," Cocannouer said after the game. "I'm so proud of these guys, they have battled adversity all season long and I'm so happy for them to go out there and keep battling to get this victory."
The victory for SWOSU snaps a four-game slide and improves the Bulldogs to 3-7 heading into the season finale, next Saturday in Alva against Northwestern Oklahoma State.
