Runnin' Bulldogs Top Akron, 38-37, In Overtime Saturday
September 11, 2010 | Football
AKRON, Ohio - Juanne Blount scored from four yards out in
overtime to tie the game, and Ryan Gates booted home the extra
point to lift Gardner-Webb to a 38-37 win at Akron Saturday
afternoon.
Senior cornerback Bryce Nixon gave Gardner-Webb (2-0) a chance
to win in overtime on the previous possession, blocking a PAT
attempt after Akron scored to start the extra period.
The win for Gardner-Webb was its first ever over a team from
the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
"Obviously we are very excited as a football team right now,"
said GWU head coach Steve Patton. "I was most proud of the way our
kids did not quit in this game and kept fighting. [The win] was a
direct result of those kids playing for 60 minutes. We've come
close before, down at Georgia Tech [in 2008] comes to mind, so this
is a great result for us. We're showing improvement and playing
hard, and that's all you can ask for."
Redshirt freshman quarterback Chandler Browning led the
comeback charge, tossing two touchdowns in the second half to James
Perry III. The Raleigh, N.C., native's first scoring pass came with
18 seconds left in the third quarter to cut the Akron lead to
31-24. That score capped a seven-play, 82-yard drive that included
a key, 51-yard strike to tight end Josh Miller early in the
drive.
The GWU defense stepped through with a stop on Akron's next
drive, and Browning marched the Runnin' Bulldogs 86 yards in 14
plays to tie the game. He hit Perry from 13 yards out with 5:05
left in the game - and Gates booted home the PAT for a 31-31
score.
Akron (0-2) responded by driving all the way to the
Gardner-Webb five-yard line, before running back Nate Burney was
stripped by Dami Teniola and the loose ball was recovered by Nixon
to thwart a go-ahead score by the Zips.
Gardner-Webb wasn't able to move the football after the
turnover, and Akron took advantage of a roughing the passer penalty
at the GWU 35-yard line to move well within field goal range with
less than a minute to play.
Kicker Igot Ivelijic had to sweat out a pair of timeouts by
Gardner-Webb with five seconds left, and missed a 34-yard kick that
would have won the game as time expired in regulation.
Akron scored first in the overtime period, with Alex Allen
diving across the goal line to cap a nine-yard run, but Nixon broke
through with a dive off the left corner to block Ivelijic's PAT
attempt and keep the Zips' lead at 37-31.
Gardner-Webb used a five-yard run by Blount, a seven-yard end
around by Perry and a nine-yard completion from John Rock to Perry
to set up Blount's scoring romp up the middle.
Browning finished the game 17-of-27 for 196 yards and two
scores, and Rock finished 8-of-16 for 92 yards and one touchdown -
a 14-yard strike to Jamal Patmon in the first half.
The 'Dogs were led again on the ground by Blount, who carried
18 times for 69 yards and the game winner - filling in again nicely
for injured starter Patrick Hall, who missed his second game in a
row. Perry had a tremendous effort, hauling in 10 passes for 125
yards and two scores, including a hand full of spectacular
grabs.
Gardner-Webb outgained the Zips 391 yards to 389, managed 24
first downs and held the football for 45:26, controlling the
football for large stretches in the final three quarters.
Nixon led the defense with nine tackles (eight solo), a fumble
recovery, broken up pass and blocked extra point - all key plays
for the 'Dogs. His pass break up in the end zone prevented a score
on Akron's final drive in regulation and forced a field goal
attempt with the game tied.
Courtney Roundtree added seven hits, and Cedric McGowan,
Lyndrez Leslie and Dami Teniola each pitched in with six hits.
McGowan had a 17-yard interception return in the second quarter
that set up a GWU score - starting what would wind up a tremendous
day for Gardner-Webb's two senior cornerbacks.
Akron was led by a pair of 100-yard efforts on the ground,
with Allen (110 yards, 3 TD) and Burney (119 yards) leading the
way.
The Zips led 21-17 at halftime, and pushed that lead to 31-17
before Gardner-Webb seized control of the game.
NOTES
Gardner-Webb played Saturday without the services of reigning
National Player of the Week Jeffery Williams at linebacker, after
the senior was held out after a minor injury suffered during
midweek practice … The Runnin' Bulldogs had four true
freshman start the game at Akron: running back Juanne Blount;
defensive end Preston Pemasa; linebacker Sean Hubbard and safety
Gianni Olivas … GWU's last overtime game came in 2005, when
the 'Dogs took a 55-52 win in three extra periods at VMI.s
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