The SDSU Defense
South Dakota State started the season off much like the Bears – slow. They lost their first three games. Their only loss since was a heart-breaking loss to Georgia Southern when GSU kicked the game-winning 54-yard field goal as time expired.
It all sounds a little too familiar. Last year, SDSU was 2-0 against the Southland Conference heading into the game. This year they are once again off to a 2-0 start against SLC competition. This UCA team needs that to be where the similarities stop.
UCA’s offense threw for 290 yards last year against South Dakota State. It was the second-highest total given up by the SDSU defense all season (Montana had 291). But everyone remembers the -16 yards rushing the Bears were held to. That was due in large part to the five sacks for -48 yards on Nathan Brown.
The Jacks defense had an interception as well and seven total tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
The problem for UCA’s offense, which we all know has been red hot this season, is that most of the defense from last year’s game appears back. And, Jimmy Rogers, a sophomore linebacker who didn’t register a tackle against UCA last year, is leading the team defensively this year.
Senior Mitch Pontrelli and juniors Eric Schroeder and Danny Batten are the guys doing the damage up front this year. They have combined for 11.5 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss. Against the Bears last season they had three sacks and four tackles for loss.
The SDSU defense has 10 interceptions, but that number may be a little deceiving since five of those were in a single game, against Stephen F. Austin. SFA has thrown 15 this season.
As you might imagine, the -16 yards was the season low for the Jacks defense. In fact, the Bears were one of just four teams to rush for fewer than 100 yards against SDSU last season. Those four games were the only home games SDSU played last season, so maybe that is a good sign.
The very next Jackrabbit opponent, a powerful Cal Poly team that averaged 182 yards per game in 06, rushed for 238. SDSU opponents averaged 154 yards per game, and that’s weighted down heavily by the Bears poor performance last year.
This season the Bears are averaging 166.5 yards on the ground. The Jacks are allowing 201. If the Bears aren’t able to run the ball again this season, it could be a long day for Brown and the passing game as they try to work against what appears to be a solid pass rush.
The Bears gave up just 14 sacks all last season. Through eight games, the offensive line has given up eight sacks. The three new starters on the offensive line must do a better job at both run and pass blocking than last season’s performance against the Jacks. If not, it’s going to take another slippery performance by Brown to buy time to find his group of talented receivers.
Overtime Thriller
The offense put up 42 points in regulation. The defense stepped up when it had to in the fourth quarter and overtime. And the Bears beat Nicholls in the first overtime, 49-42.
Both teams had fumbled earlier in the game – Nicholls twice – but the key turnover came as Nicholls couldn’t pull in the option pitch on third and four in overtime. Josh Fay recovered for the Bears, and that was the ball game.
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind blowing people out, but it doesn’t get much better than an overtime win as a fan. I know the coaches might now feel the same way, but man it was intense. It was a great night to be a fan. And it was a great night to be a Bear.
It was amazing. The Bears went into halftime tied at 21-21. After a Nicholls touchdown to take a seven-point lead, both teams traded fumbles in the other team’s territory. Nicholls then scored again and converted the two point attempt – after missing an extra point earlier – to go up by two touchdowns.
But the Bear offense – like last week – was just about to start figuring things out. The run game was working. The pass game was working, when the receivers weren’t uncharacteristically dropping balls. And the 14-point lead was cut to seven in just six plays that covered 75 yards. The big play was the first one, a 44-yard pass to Willie Landers. Brent Grimes took it in to the end zone from 16 yards out.
Okay, let’s stop right here for a second. Let me be the first to say that the crowd also stepped up in crunch time. This was my first week to sit on the east side in the second half. I was complaining about the students throughout the third quarter (I was on the field until halftime.).
On third downs and in overtime, the students got loud. It even looked like the west side stood up and made some noise. The atmosphere went from disappointing to the ever-cliché electric.
The momentum seemed to be squarely in UCA’s favor. The defense forced Nicholls to go three-and-out, and after a punt return, the Bears were starting the drive from their own 41.
Five plays later, Eric Ware, in his second huge ball game in a row, ran 40 yards to tie the game up at 35-35. Ware finished with six catches for 102 yards and has 15 catches for 200 yards in the last two games.
The defense forced Nicholls’ second fumble of the game and recovered to give the offense possession at the UCA 47.
People focus a lot on the play of Nathan Brown, and that is of course well-deserved. But Brent Grimes is a ballplayer. The guy just made consistent run after run. The go-ahead drive was a lot of Grimes and a lot of Brown. Grimes rushed five times for 38 yards during the drive.
The receivers dropped some of the deep passes that were catchable, but the intermediate game was thriving. Nick Cowger took advantage. Almost every time the Bears ran play-action, the defense had to respect the run, and Nathan would roll out find an open receiver. This possession ended with Cowger scoring from five yards out. And the Bears, which hadn’t led since 14-7 in the second quarter, had taken the lead with just under 1:30 left to play.
Sounds like an easy situation with Nicholls’ run-oriented offense right? Nicholls had just attempted a single pass up to this point, and that pass was not very accurate due to a hit on the quarterback as he was releasing the ball. Well, the Colonels’ offense completed 5-of-7 to drive 74 yards in just 48 seconds. A 20-yard completion tied it at 42-42.
The Bears had 48 seconds to get in field goal range, but the clock ran out on a completion to Darrius McNeal (3 catches, 33 yards) as McNeal couldn’t get out of bounds before time ran out. On to overtime we went.
The Colonels won the coin toss and opted to take the ball second in overtime, and the Bears took the ball first on the north end of the field. We’ve had pretty good luck on that end.
The overtime period was a lot of Brent Grimes. Six players had carries for the Bears in the game, including Nathan Brown with 10, so Grimes seemed to be well-rested at the end of the game. And the coaches gave it to him the first four plays of overtime. He carried the ball down to the three yard line.
On third and two – meaning a first down was possible at about one-foot out – the Bears handed off to Ware as he came in motion. It was obvious that he didn’t get into the end zone, but he got just enough for the first down. And when I say just enough, let me be more specific. It was so close that the referee had to get down on one knee to get a closer look. It was, in fact, a first down and after a failed quarterback sneak, Grimes took it in from the one for the 49-42 lead and eventual win.
Grimes finished with 117 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and he also was the second-leading pass catcher with five for 32 yards.. Nathan Brown ran for 54 yards and was 28-of-44 for 338 yards and four TDs through the air. Tight end Marques Branson was held in check a little but was still able to haul in another touchdown. Preston Echols had the other touchdown.
The defense, which allowed 6.7 yards per rush, allowed the touchdown to give Nicholls the 35-21 lead and then stepped up the run defense in the fourth quarter and in overtime – big time. The next three possessions that the Colonels attempted to run the ball were three-and-out, three-and-fumble, and three-and-fumble. They did give up the tying score near the end of the fourth quarter, but I was uber-impressed with the play of the run defense to end the game. The three fumble recoveries were obviously key to being able to come back and then to seal it.