Wildcats Stunned by Tigers!
(Post-Season Hopes Possibly Dashed)
By: FVSU Office of Sports Information
Saturday's football matchup between the Wildcats of Fort Valley State University (FVSU) and the Tigers of Benedict College had an unexpected and potentially devastating impact on the Wildcats. Despite being homecoming for the Tigers, most analysts predicted that the seventh ranked Wildcats (NCAA Division II Super Regional Two) would have little difficulty in defeating the Tigers. The only problem was that somebody forgot to tell the Tigers! And the oversight could proved extremely costly for FVSU.
On the game's opening offensive series, the Wildcats mounted a drive which justified their regional ranking. A 12-play, 55-yard drive was capped off by a 10-yard touchdown pass from FVSU quarterback Nathaniel Samas to wide receiver Darius Williams. After the extra point, the FVSU lead was 7-0.
However, when it comes to homecoming, sometimes even region rankings are not enough to overcome a team eager to impress a friendly crowd. The Tigers proved that point on Saturday. On the ensuing kick-off Benedict matched the previous FVSU drive. Tiger quarterback Pat Riley finished a 7-play, 80-yard drive with a 49-yard touchdown run. The converted extra point tied the game at 7-7.
Early in the second quarter, the Tigers, once again, showed that they were not easily swayed by regional rankings when Riley capped a Benedict drive of 66 yards with a touchdown run of three yards. The added extra point gave the Tigers a 14-7 lead.
In the third quarter, FVSU's Justin Rosenbaum made the first of two field goals for the Wildcats. Rosenbaum's 42-yard field goal in this quarter was his longest of the season and it cut the Tiger lead to 14-10. Late in the fourth quarter, he set a new personal best when he made a 45-yard field goal to keep the Wildcats within striking distance of the Tigers.
After Rosenbaum's first field goal, on its next possession, the Wildcat offense executed a flawless 16-play, 87-yard drive. The drive consumed 6:54 and ended with a Brandon Anderson 4-yard touchdown run. With the extra point added by Rosenbaum, FVSU took a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
However, mid-way through the final quarter, two drives by the Benedict offense ended with break away touchdown runs which sealed the fate of FVSU. The first came at 8:51 remaining when Riley scored on an 11-yard run. With the extra point, the Tigers reclaimed the lead, 21-17.
The second came at the 6:08 mark when Maxamillion Martin scored on a 67-yard run. The converted extra point gave the Tigers a 28-17 lead.
The Wildcats cut the Tiger lead to 28-20 on the aforementioned Rosenbaum 45-yard field goal with 3:48 remaining.
After the field goal and trailing by eight points, the Wildcats tried an on-side kick and the effort was successful. FVSU went back on offense with a chance to send the game into overtime with a touchdown and two-point conversion.
Starting from their own 42 yard line, the Wildcats mounted a drive that took them down to the 27 yard line of the Tigers with 1:34 remaining. With the game on the line and facing a third down and nine, the Wildcats were forced to throw the football. Unfortunately, the Terrance Ransom pass was intercepted near the five yard line by Benedict's Julian Carter and the Tigers were able secure their homecoming win.
For the Wildcats, the loss was potentially devastating. Ranked fourth in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and seventh in the NCAA Division II Super Regional Poll coming into the game, the defeat is almost certain to eliminate the Wildcats from contention for the conference title and drop them out of the region rankings. Elimination from both assures that FVSU will not be involved in any NCAA post-season play.
With the loss the Wildcats are now 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the SIAC. FVSU will be back in action on Saturday, October 31st at Wildcat Stadium for Homecoming 2009 when they host Kentucky State University. Kick-off for the game is 1 p.m.
Tickets for the game are on sale now. Reserved seats are $30 each; general admission tickets are $22; and children 6-12, $13.
To purchase online, visit http://www.wildcatticketoffice.com. To buy tickets to homecoming events in person, stop by the Troup Building, Room 230. Personal checks are not accepted.
