By: FVSU Office of Sports Information
Nobody said the road would be easy! And Saturday's 47-34 loss to the Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College was glaring proof for the Wildcats of Fort Valley State University (FVSU) that navigating your way to a Division II football national championship is a journey of unexpected potholes and detours.
In their first home game of the season, the Wildcats were knocked off track of their pre-season destination of playing for a national title. The Maroon Tigers traveled south to Fort Valley with that intent in mind and as they headed back up interstate 75, Morehouse found itself with an undefeated record of 2-0 and having delivered a serious blow to the national aspirations of FVSU.
Before a crowd of 8,534 at Wildcat Stadium, the game's earliest indicator pointed toward an FVSU win. Sophomore defensive back Dejuan Williams spoiled a Maroon Tiger drive with 12:51 remaining in the first half with an interception that he returned 33 yards for a Wildcats touchdown. It was the first interception of the season for Williams who shares the all-time, single game interception record (3) at FVSU. After Justin Rosenbaum added the extra point, the Wildcats claimed a 7-0 lead.
At the 9:30 mark the Maroon Tigers got their first of two touchdowns in the first quarter to take a 14-7 lead. It was a lead they would never relinquish. The first score came on a nine yard pass from William Brack to Derrick Hector. With 2:49 left, Brack struck again. This time his target was Jeremy Halbert-Harris. The six yard touchdown along with converted extra points by Ian Mullen put the Maroon Tigers into the driver's seat with a 14-0 lead and they never surrendered the keys.
At the start of the second quarter it was more bad news for Wildcats when Charlie Wilson recovered an FVSU fumble and returned it 95 yards for a Morehouse touchdown. Mullen missed the extra point attempt but the Maroon Tiger lead ballooned to 20-7.
Sensing that the scoring deficit was about to become unmanageable, the Wildcats mounted an eight-play, 52 yard drive which resulted in a 30 yard field goal by Rosenbaum. With 3:37 left in the first half, the Wildcats got another score. Sophomore quarterback Sean Frezell connected with junior wide receiver Tony Davis on an eight yard pass for a touchdown. After Rosenbaum hit the extra point, the 10-point second quarter surge by FVSU cut the Morehouse lead to 20-17 and appeared to give the Wildcats renewed hope as they looked toward the intermission.
That Wildcats confidence was even more abound after a solid defensive effort gave the ball back to the offense with an opportunity to tie or take the lead with either a field goal or touchdown before halftime. The Wildcats got neither. Instead, a 60 yard interception returned for a touchdown by Morehouse's Olajawaun Gooch with less than a minute remaining in the half doused the first half FVSU comeback. Morehouse led 26-17 at the break.
The start of the second half presented more ominous signs for the Wildcats and a future trip to contend for an NCAA title. At the 13:47 mark, the Maroon Tigers added to their lead when Byron Ingram found Robert Darby-McNair on a 29 yard touchdown pass. With Mullen's extra point, a stunned Wildcat crowd saw the Morehouse lead climb to 33-17.
A few seconds later, more good fortune befell Morehouse. A fumble on the ensuing drive by FVSU's Frezell at the Wildcat 20 yard line presented a golden opportunity for the Maroon Tigers. Morehouse quickly cashed in with a 20 yard touchdown strike from Ingram to Hector. With the extra point, there was silence in “The Valley” with the posting of a 40-17 Morehouse lead on the Wildcat Stadium Scoreboard.
Facing the strong possibility of losing before the FVSU faithful, the Wildcats used the rest of the third quarter to mount a serious and entertaining rally. At the 10 minute mark, Tony Reid capped a seven play, 69 yard drive with a 31 yard touchdown run. Rosenbaum's point after drew the Wildcats closer, 40-24.
With 6:30 left, the Wildcats sliced the Maroon Tiger lead even further. Again, it was Reid with the touchdown run. From three yards out, Reid's touchdown ended a four play, 35 yard FVSU drive. With the extra point, Wildcat Stadium came alive as FVSU trailed only by nine points, 40-31.
Two minutes later, the Morehouse lead would be reduced even more. A stiff Wildcats defensive effort forced the Maroon Tigers into a punting situation deep in their own territory. On the punt attempt, FVSU's Courtney Love found a direct line to the punter and blocked the punt which was recovered Dionte Dinkins at the Morehouse 20 yard line.
Although the Wildcats were unable to turn the blocked punt into a touchdown, Rosenbaum's 42 yard field goal decreased the Morehouse lead to 40-34.
As the teams entered the fourth quarter, momentum had swung decidedly in FVSU's favor. Trailing by only six points, and having reeled off the game's last 17 points, the Wildcats had every reason to believe that they were on the verge of a comeback.
However, that belief soon faced the harsh reality of SIAC Football. An FVSU fumble in the early minutes of the fourth quarter resulted in the game's final score. Unfortunately, it was the Maroon Tigers who got the final score. The Maroon Tigers took advantage of the third FVSU fumble with a 19 yard touchdown run by Ingram. With Mullen's extra point, Morehouse led 47-34.
With most of the quarter remaining, the score stayed that way as the Wildcats slipped to 1-1 on the season. The loss, while not completely devastating, makes the vision of a trip to Florence, Alabama to contend for a national title a bit fuzzier.
Next weekend, the Wildcats meet another set of Tigers. This time it's the Tigers of Savannah State University. The teams will meet in Macon, Georgia at Henderson Stadium at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 11, 2010.
-Wildcats Athletics-
