ADA – Despite a valiant fourth-quarter effort, the East Central University football team fell to Southeastern Oklahoma State, 15-18, in the final game of the 2014 season, The Great American Classic presented by Landmark Bank.  The game was also the first officially played at Norris Field at Koi Ishto (Big Cat) Stadium, with the stadium being dedicated in honor of the Chickasaw Nation earlier in the day.

ECU vs. Southeastern Photo Gallery
Koi Ishto Stadium Dedication Photo Gallery

"The game was exciting to the end," said head coach Tim McCarty.  "I was proud that the team never quit.  Unfortunately, the turnovers were a deficit that we could not overcome."

The Tigers (6-4, 6-4 GAC) were led by Landmark Bank Player of the Game Carson Hyles, who came in late in the fourth quarter at quarterback and went 7-of-9 for 155 yards and one TD.  Sophomore David Moore led the receivers with 68 yards and a touchdown, while senior JoJo Snell was the leading rusher with 81 yards.

ECU's defense was led by junior Jerico Rogers and senior Kellan Taeatafa-De La Rosa, with 11 tackles each.  Rogers added one tackle-for-loss, while Taeatafa-De La Rosa broke up one pass and had an assisted TFL.  Junior Jameel Whitney added to his season-leading tackle total with nine and ended the season with 104 (41-63).

The Savage Storm (7-4, 6-4 GAC) were the first to get on the scoreboard when a bungled snap on a punt resulted in a safety with 16 seconds left in the first quarter.
SEOSU added to its lead with two touchdowns in the second quarter to go up 0-15 with 3:17 left to play.

The Tigers got on the scoreboard just before the end of the half, with redshirt sophomore David Massuere hitting a 35-yard field goal with 27 seconds left on the clock.

It looked like the game was over late in the second quarter, as the Savage Storm added a 31-yard field goal to increase the advantage to 3-18.  However, just under three minutes later junior Spencer Bond scrambled into the end zone from 18 yards out.  The Tigers then went for two points, but the pass was called incomplete to put the score at 9-18.

Most of the fourth quarter went by without a score until Hyles entered the game with four minutes left to play.  On his first pass attempt of the game he connected with junior Juwan Dotson for 27 yards and continued to rush down the field with a six-yard pass to senior Micheal Allen and then a 48-yard pass to Moore to get ECU within four yards of the end zone.  Hyles capped off the drive with a two-yard pass to Moore for the TD, with 1:54 left on the clock.

The Tigers then attempted an onside kick, but SEOSU recovered.  ECU's defense stepped up and forced the Savage Storm to punt and give the ball back to the Tigers with 52 seconds remaining.

Hyles responded again and hit sophomore Randall Case for a 25 and 38-yard pass to get ECU in field-goal range.  The Tigers first attempt was blocked, but resulted in a roughing the kicker penalty to allow a second attempt.  Unfortunately the second attempt was also blocked to give SEOSU the 15-18 win.

ECU's offense had a better overall day with 345 total offensive yards to 225 by SEOSU, but turnovers were the key to the game. The Tigers were intercepted four times and lost one of two fumbles. 

The game was the last for 15 student-athletes, as the Tigers honored seniors Robert VanDeripe, Qumain Black, JoJo Snell, Daniel Holland, Michael Allen, JuJu Turituri, Kellan Taeatafa-De La Rosa, Chance Carey, Deon Criss, Daren Campbell, Carter Grigg, Terrence Holloman, Eli Cook, Joel Reser and Marcus Beale before the start of the game.