Football | 10/29/2011 11:28:00 PM
Box Score Box Score
McPherson, Kan. – Trailing by three late in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs drove as close as the two yard line, but failed to punch in the game winning score, as the McPherson College football team fell, 34-31, at the University of Saint Mary on Saturday afternoon at USM Stadium.
The loss drops McPherson to 3-6 overall and 3-4 in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, while the Spires improve to 4-5 overall and 4-3 in league play.
Despite the loss, McPherson outgained Saint Mary 476-296, including a career-best 300 yards passing from junior quarterback
Jake Snodgrass (Derby, Kan.). Snodgrass completed 25-of-41 on the afternoon with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Senior wide receiver
Andy Skinner (Montezuma, Kan.) caught a team-high eight passes for 75 yards, while fellow senior receiver
Joe Middleton (Phoenix, Ariz.) had a season-high 98 yards receiving on seven receptions.
Senior running back
Travon Jones (Fresno, Calif.) paced the MC ground game with 96 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns for his fifth multi-touchdown performance of the season. In addition to Jones, Snodgrass rushed for 52 yards on 13 attempts. As a team, the Bulldogs finished the game with 176 rushing yards.
Defensively, McPherson held one of the nation’s top passing offenses to a season-low 296 total yards, including only 104 yards from the passing game. Additionally, MC forced two Spire fumbles, one of which led to a Bulldog field goal midway through the third quarter. Senior linebacker
Darrick Johnson (Maricopa, Ariz.) led the team with nine tackles, while senior defensive end
Charles Ryan (Los Angeles, Calif.) added seven tackles, respectively.
McPherson trailed 10-0 for a majority of the first quarter until Jones broke through with a 25-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 10-7 at the end of the first frame.
The two teams traded touchdowns, including a 36-yard pitch and catch from Snodgrass to junior wide receiver
Kenny Pope (Sunnyvale, Calif.) to make it a three-point game, 17-14. However, Spire quarterback Mike Keese carried a quarterback keeper one yard to give USM a 24-14 lead at the break.
A Bulldog interception on the opening possession of the second half set up another Spire touchdown, as Saint Mary extended its lead to 31-14 with 9:13 left in the third. A swapping of field goals made it a 34-17 Spire advantage with a little more than 11 minutes left in the game.
McPherson, however, would not lay down as the Bulldogs scored on two straight possessions on a Jones 12-yard run and a Snodgrass 30-yard pass to junior wide receiver
Julius Record (Detroit, Mich.). The touchdowns cut the USM lead to 34-31 late in the fourth quarter.
On their final drive, the Bulldogs powered down to as close as the two yard line, but failed to punch in the game winner.
McPherson returns to action next week when they host Kansas Wesleyan University at McPherson Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (CST).
