SHAWNEE, Okla. – Battling rainy, windy and muddy conditions on the road, the (RV) East Central University football team mounted a fourth-quarter comeback Thursday night, scoring all 17 of their points in the final quarter to secure a 17-10 Great American Conference victory over Oklahoma Baptist University.
The win marked another important step for ECU in the Great American Conference race, as the Tigers improved to 6-1 in conference play despite the challenging conditions and a short turnaround after their previous contest just five days earlier.
ECU will now have an extended break before returning home to host Southwestern Oklahoma State University for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Koi Ishto Stadium in Ada, Oklahoma.
The Tigers faced an uphill battle throughout the night as the unfavorable weather and field conditions made moving the ball difficult for both teams. The Tigers faced adversity from the opening drive, as a blocked punt gave the Bisons possession deep in ECU territory and led to the game's first touchdown. ECU's defense responded with a crucial goal-line stand early in the second quarter, stopping Oklahoma Baptist on fourth-and-two from the two-yard line to keep the deficit at seven.
Despite the defensive effort, the Tigers struggled to find their footing offensively in the wet conditions. ECU also saw a potential scoring opportunity end when a 53-yard field goal attempt was blocked just before halftime, sending the Tigers into the break trailing 7-0.
The Bisons extended their lead to 10-0 with a field goal in the third quarter, but ECU's defense continued to give the Tigers a chance to rally. The unit limited Oklahoma Baptist to just three points after the opening quarter, setting the stage for the fourth-quarter comeback.
Facing a 10-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, the Tigers finally broke through. ECU put together a nine-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a three-yard touchdown run from
Quincy Thompson with 12:11 remaining.
Gabriel Ogura added the extra point to cut the deficit to 10-7.
The Tigers' defense continued to keep the Bisons off the scoreboard, giving the offense an opportunity to complete the comeback. ECU responded with a 13-play drive that covered 30 yards and consumed 6:44 off the clock, setting up Ogura for a 32-yard field goal with 2:27 remaining to tie the game at 10-10.
With the game hanging in the balance, the Tigers delivered when it mattered most. ECU's defense came up with the game-changing play as
Amin White intercepted a pass on the Bisons' second play of the drive, returning it seven yards to the Oklahoma Baptist 29-yard line with 1:49 remaining.
The Tigers wasted little time capitalizing on the turnover. With just 30 seconds left on the clock,
Sergio Kennedy took the handoff and burst through the defense, racing 26 yards into the end zone to put the Tigers in front for the first time all night.
Gabriel Ogura's extra point sealed the 17-10 lead, capping a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback and securing the road victory for ECU.
Offensively, the Tigers relied on their ground game to navigate the difficult weather conditions, finishing with 183 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Quincy Thompson led the way with 68 yards on 21 carries, including a three-yard touchdown run to spark ECU's fourth-quarter comeback.
Sergio Kennedy added 69 net rushing yards on 13 carries, highlighted by his game-winning 26-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds remaining.
Austin Bowen contributed 28 yards on four carries, while
Buddy Bizzell added 18 yards on three attempts.
Through the air, Kennedy completed nine passes for 79 yards without throwing an interception.
Xavier Gordon led the Tigers' receiving corps with two catches for 30 yards, while
Conner Combs also hauled in two receptions for 14 yards.
Defensively, the Tigers came up with several key stops to keep the game within reach before delivering in the fourth quarter.
Caden Pickens led ECU with nine total tackles, including two solo stops, while
Jonah Espinosa followed with eight tackles.
Logan Taylor and
Treveon Tutt each recorded six tackles, while
Dalton Dollar,
Tyler Masters,
Justin McCray,
Tyques Miles and
Trenton Wheeler contributed five apiece. Miles and Wheeler each added a tackle for loss, and Masters recovered a fumble for six yards.
Amin White delivered the biggest defensive play of the night, intercepting a pass late in the fourth quarter and returning it seven yards to set up Kennedy's game-winning touchdown.
East Central held the edge in total offense, outgaining Oklahoma Baptist 262-251 yards while recording 20 first downs to the Bisons' 14. The Tigers leaned on their ground game, finishing with 183 rushing yards and two touchdowns compared to Oklahoma Baptist's 170 yards and no rushing scores. ECU also controlled possession for 31:53 and converted both fourth-down attempts.
