Spartans Miss Game Tying Opportunity
Oct 20, 2012 | UD Sports Info
WAVERLY, Iowa - The University of Dubuque football team marched down the field as time ran out to give them one chance at tying the game on Saturday only to have a 37 yard field goal sail wide to the right and suffer their third IIAC loss in the final minutes of the game by a 31-34 final.
UD quieted the homecoming crowd in Waverly in the opening half of action as the Spartans led 24-14. The Spartans scored all 24 points in the second quarter. Sean Anderson caught an 13 yard pass from Wyatt Hanus with 12:48 in the second. A quick interception by Trevor Runkle gave the ball back to the offense deep in the the Knights half of the field. Tyler Rutenbeck caught a seven yard pass from Hanus with 9:10 left until halftime. Dakota Runde found paydirt on a six yard run with 3:59 on the clock. Heriberto Sandoval added a 37 yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
The host Knights sliced the Spartan lead in the third quarter, but the Spartan defense continued to put pressure on the offense and would end the game with 10 tackles for losses of 57 yards. UD forced the Knights into committing three turnovers. Maurice Hill sacked the quarterback two and half times for losses of 15 yards. Vincent Whipple and Runkle would both finish with 10 tackles.
Runde scored his second touchdown of the day on a one yard run in the fourth quarter. With just over five minutes to go in the game, the Spartans defense would once again step up and push the Knights into punting with 1:58 left. UD was held to three plays and a minus 10 yards in the series forcing them to punt with 1:25 left in the game and leading 31-27. The Knights used all three time outs in the Spartans series, but they would need just one play to score the go ahead score on a 22 yard pass play using just nine seconds. The Knights led 34-31 as the Spartans last drive would begin at 1:16 left of the game.
Hanus showed why he was selected a pre-season All-American as he moved the ball down the field with precision and clock awareness. UD had nine plays and moved the ball 54 yards with three seconds left of the game, UD stopped the clock and looked to Sandoval for his second 37 yard field goal of the game. Unfortunately for the Spartans they would see their chance to tie the game slip away as the kick went wide to the right.
The Spartans fall to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the IIAC. UD will host the Simpson College Storm next week, Oct. 27 at 4:00 p.m. on Chalmers Field. The Storm suffered a loss to the Coe College Kohawks 7-47 at home.
