VMI Football Falls to Gardner-Webb in 3 OT Shootout, 55-52

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VMI Football Falls to Gardner-Webb in 3 OT Shootout, 55-52

LEXINGTON, Va. - In the longest game in Alumni Memorial Field history, Gardner-Webb edged VMI, 55-52, in three overtimes and handed the Keydets their first Big South Conference loss of the season.

The game was not decided until Keydet quarterback Jonathan Wilson's batted pass ended in the arms of freshman strong safety Daniel Cooke on VMI's first play of the third overtime.

Gardner-Webb had just taken the lead moments before on a 30-yard field goal by Hunter Smith to end Gardner-Webb's third possession in overtime. It proved to be the game winner and snapped a Bulldog four-game losing streak.

It was VMI's first overtime loss in the program's history covering six OT contests.

VMI trailed 28-13 early in the third quarter, but the Keydets rallied to take the lead with consecutive touchdown scoring drives.

The Keydet second-half comeback began when Wilson flipped a one-yard pass to fullback Mike Maleski at the 7:06 mark of the third, capping a 10-play, 42-yard drive that was keyed by a 51-yard kickoff return by Titus Green. VMI followed on the ensuing possession with a four-play, 59-yard drive topped by Wilson's 16-yard touchdown pass to Gary Price and two-point conversion toss to tight end John Fox to tie the score at 28-28 with :59 left in the third quarter.

Gardner-Webb reclaimed the lead briefly when Smith banged through a 27-yard field goal at 12:47 of the fourth quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead 31-28, but the Keydets took their first lead since the opening minutes of the game when running back Nat Jackson powered 17 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown, helping VMI to a 35-31 lead with 8:41 left.

The Bulldogs again pushed ahead, 38-35, when quarterback Nick Roberts scored on a two-yard run on a fourth and goal at the 4:38 mark, capping a 10-play, 71-yard drive.

Gardner-Webb appeared to have the game in hand when linebacker J.B. Weaver pounced on a Jackson fumble at the GWU 7 and returned it 28 yards with 3:21 left. But four plays later, Bulldog back Jermaine Boston had the ball knocked loose by VMI linebacker Justin Huggard and it was recovered by VMI safety Marcus Barnes at the GWU 46-yard line.

VMI moved the ball to the GWU 17 in seven plays, but had to settle for a Barrett Way 34-yard field goal, his third of the day, with :09 left to force overtime.

The Keydets won the first overtime coin toss and elected to play defense. Gardner-Webb retook the lead on a 27-yard third and 12 pass play from Roberts to Duvaughn Flagler to the left corner of the end zone. But the Keydets countered with 19-yard TD pass from Wilson to Maleski and Way's extra-point tied the game at 45-45 and forced a second overtime session.

VMI began on offense in the second OT and scored on a fourth down pass play covering nine yards to tight end John Fox. Way's extra-point put the Keydets ahead 52-45, but the Bulldogs answered when Roberts teamed with Boston for a 10-yard scoring strike, and Smith's extra point forced a third overtime.

The Keydets began on defense under the overtime format and forced the Bulldogs to try a field goal, which ultimately became the game winner when Smith connected on his 30-yard try.

On the first play of VMI's third overtime possession, Wilson play-actioned and rolled right before firing a pass intended for Zohn Burden upfield. The pass caromed off Gardner-Webb linebacker Mike Palvenko and then was batted high by defensive lineman Brandon Schweitzer before Cooke snatched the ball, and the Keydet hopes for a victory, ending the four-hour marathon slugfest.

Gardner-Webb rolled up 533 yards on a Big South record 99 snaps while the Keydets countered with 527 yards on 84 plays.

Wilson completed 24 of 34 passes for 296 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Keydet air attack and Jackson produced a career-high 149 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Burden paced the Keydet receivers with seven catches for 153 yards (career-high).

Roberts completed 26 of 39 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns, finishing the day accounting for five touchdowns.

Boston led Bulldog receivers with nine catches for 61 yards and a TD and Flagler snagged six passes for 141 yards and two scores.

Gardner-Webb freshman linebacker Micheal Pavelko, making his first college start, established a Big South record for tackles with 24 stops including one for loss.

Huggard paced VMI on the tackle charts with 19 tackles while defensive backs Grant Harris and Marcus Brown each had 14 tackles.

Way turned in his most productive day as a Keydet field goal kicker, converting all three field goal tries in order from 47, 51 and 34 yards. He also hit all four PAT attempts.

VMI (3-5, 2-1 BSC) travels to Conway, S.C. next Saturday afternoon to face defending champion Coastal Carolina at 12:30 p.m. Gardner-Webb plays host to Liberty next Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

VMI Head Coach Cal McCombs ? “I am proud of this football team the way they came back and fought their way to the end. You just feel so bad for these guys on this football team because they work so hard and end up losing a ballgame like that, but you have to give Gardner Webb a lot of credit. That football team played Coastal last week and lost in a very similar type situation, and bounced back this week and did a good job on the road. ...We had a hard time stopping Gardner-Webb's offense. The little quarterback (Roberts) is a magician. He can beat you with his feet or arm and does a great job running their offense. They averaged 37 points a game and we knew that we were going to have to play good defense and tackle well, but we also knew were going to have to score some points as well... We were able to match them in the second half. I think our offense did a good job coming back and matching them, but weren't able to match them in that last overtime period....(on the last play of the game) we called what we thought was one of our better routes ? safe routes where Jonathan (Wilson) has a three way option ? he can go deep with the corner route if its open, he can go outside to Maleski if it's open, or go to Gary (Price) over the middle. The ball just bounced up in the air. One of those fruit loop plays. You get into those overtimes like that when you play as many as you played today and you sit there wondering who is going to be the first team to turn it over. I thought we had the turnover on them when he pitched the ball and it went on the ground and Titus (Green) didn't come up with it and they came up with it. Had we got that one and kept them from kicking a field goal, we could have gone in there and kicked one...I really respect our guys. We had a bunch of them that played hurt and they threw their bodies around. They did everything they could to win. It's a shame that either team had to lose... When we held them to a field goal in the third overtime I told our offense, “we got a shot to win it right now, we just have to stick one in the end zone and on the first play we had the pick on the intercept. I thought it was a good call, and it was a good throw, it just bounced up in the air and that happens. We wanted to be aggressive with that ball in the third overtime because we weren't going to sit on the ball and kick another field goal to tie it up again. We wanted to win the football game.”
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