Drake Blocks Last-Second Field Goal Try in 20-17 Win Over Davidson

Box Score

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake defense blocked Ben Behrendt's 28-yard field goal attempt as time ran off the clock to lift the Bulldogs to a 20-17 Pioneer League Football victory over Davidson Saturday afternoon at Drake Stadium.

Trailing 20-17, the Davidson defense got the offense the ball back on its own 33-yard line with 1:58 left in the game and no timeouts. Quarterback Ryan Alexander completed five passes, the last an 18-yard strike to Mark Hanabury, to move the ball down to the Drake 12-yard line with 12 seconds remaining.

The 'Cats took a shot at the end zone, but after Alexander's pass fell incomplete with seven seconds left, had to settle for the field goal try. After Drake (4-4, 2-3 PFL) called a timeout, Behrendt's kick blasted into a host of Bulldogs that came crashing through the line as the horn sounded, and David Witkiewicz was credited with the block.

“We did a great job of moving the ball down the field,” said Davidson coach Tripp Merritt. “If we had one or two more seconds, I would have taken another crack at the end zone, but I was worried about the clock running out.”

Alexander finished the game with 210 passing yards and a touchdown, and Kenny Mantuo rushed 13 times for 72 yards and a score. Hanabury had 45 receiving yards, and Myles Potter posted 66. Tyler Lemons led the defense with nine tackles, while Daniel Hauffe and Matt Easton each recorded eight.

Turnovers proved too costly for the Wildcats (2-5, 1-4 PFL) as Drake used three takeaways to score 17 points, including a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown.

“We had two picks that resulted directly into points and a fumble on a kick off return,” said Merritt. “It's guys trying to do too much, and that's what is frustrating.”

Trailing 20-10 late in the third quarter, Davidson used a 13-play, 70-yard drive, capped by a Mantuo 1-yard TD run, to trim the margin to 20-17 early in the fourth stanza. Mantuo rushed for 22 yards, and Alexander threw for 29 markers on the drive.

After the teams exchanged possessions, Drake moved the ball down to the Davidson 30-yard line with the help of a 36-yard screen pass from Cole Ingle to Michael Bialis. Peter Bakke came up with a big sack on 2nd-and-7, and the Wildcats forced a field goal try. Logan Rees' 43-yard attempt never had a chance, leaving the score at 20-17.

The Wildcats went 3-and-out and were forced to punt the ball back to Drake with 4:46 to go. Davidson forced a 3rd-and-8 at the Drake 43, but Ingle bought time in the pocket and hit Zach Brower with a 19-yard pass and a first down.

Later in the drive, a Will Funderburg tackle for loss on second down forced 3rd-and-10 from the Davidson 38. Patri Cashmore ran for five yards on the next play, but Patrick Hunt broke up a pass on fourth down to give the ball back to Davidson.

The Wildcats were moving the ball with a 7-0 lead late in the first half when a pair of turnovers turned the tide and allowed Drake to score two touchdowns in 1:37.

The first play came with 5:48 remaining, when Andy Green intercepted an Alexander pass and returned it 46 yards to the end zone. On 2nd-and-10 at the Davidson 38-yard line, Alexander threw a pass to Preston Aldridge, but the ball got tipped up into the air and wound up in the hands of Green, who had an easy path to pay dirt.

Drake recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and had the ball at the Davidson 17 following a penalty. On 3rd-and-4, Stephen Platek caught an Ingle pass in the end zone for a 14-7 lead with 4:11 to go.

The Wildcats used a hurry-up offense to move the ball to the Drake 27-yard line, and Behrendt knocked in a 44-yard field goal with a minute to play as Davidson trimmed the margin to 14-10 at halftime. A 14-yard completion from Alexander to Andrew Aldrich, and a pass interference call against Drake helped set up the field goal.

The Bulldogs opened the second half with another scoring burst, getting two field goals in 2:29 with the aid of a Davidson turnover. Drake regained a seven-point advantage after taking the opening kickoff and driving 51 yards in eight plays to set up a Rees 26-yard field goal.

On the next play from scrimmage, Alexander was picked off by Matt Hancock, giving Drake the ball at the Davidson 20. The Wildcat defense came up big on 3rd-and-4, when Funderburg tackled quarterback Ben Ostermann behind the line of scrimmage. Rees hit a 32-yard field goal on fourth down to give the Bulldogs a 20-10 cushion.

Davidson plays its last road game of the season when it travels to PFL opponent Campbell next Saturday.

Game Notes: Behrendt's 44-yard field goal is the second-longest of his career and his second from 40-plus… Davidson opponents have scored defensive touchdowns in each of the last two games… The Wildcats have led after the third quarter in one game this season.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results