Yellowjackets Down the Eagles in 31-23 Homecoming Win
Lamoni, IA - The Graceland football team continues to roll, tabbing their third consecutive victory with a thrilling 31-23 win over the visiting Central Methodist University Eagles.
GU packed the stands above Huntsman Field on a beautiful fall day that promised a big performance on the gridiron from a confident Yellowjacket squad. The crowd of students and alumni were not disappointed.
The home crowd was, however, given reason for nervousness in the early going. After the teams exchanged ineffectual opening drives, the Eagles opened up the scoring with a long 47 yard field goal with 5:36 left in the opening quarter. The subsequent Graceland possession ground to a halt after penalties torpedoed GU momentum. The flags flew like the blowing fall leaves on the afternoon, and neither team was able to sustain real rhythm for much of the first half.
Electing to punt, the Jackets' Cody Thornton managed to get the kick away from his own 16 yard line, but Shawn Whitley eluded the GU coverage unit and scampered in for a 51 yard touchdown return. Down 10-0 as the 2nd quarter opened, the Jackets needed some offense.
With 14:15 left in the 2nd, Thornton connected with a 33 yard field goal that wobbled hopefully toward the uprights and flew true to put GU on the board. After the Eagles offense punted away their next possession, Myles King and Raysean Brown connected for a touchdown, as the receiver found a soft spot in the CMU secondary and zipped up the seam for a 52 yard run and catch.
The 10-10 tie did not last long. Central Methodist quarterback Nic Stevens capped off a long 14 play drive with a five yard sprint into the endzone to give his team a 17-10 lead. Stevens led a second long drive in the final minute of the half which resulted in a short touchdown pass to Keenan Honore with four seconds remaining. A missed extra point meant the Eagles went into the halftime break with a 23-10 advantage.
Graceland needed to make adjustments to avoid the Homecoming upset, and whatever went on in the halftime interval seemed to stick with the Jackets, who came out in the second half looking altogether more confident and collected.
King hooked up with Johnie Williams for a 32 yard touchdown with 10:50 to go in the 3rd, cutting the deficit down to 23-17. The GU defense seemed to solve the quick-footed Stevens in the second half, holding the Eagles scoreless for the remainder of the game. The ball control-oriented CMU offense could not punch through an airtight Graceland front seven, which stepped up in the clutch for the Yellowjackets.
The offense did their part as well, as Dileel Bartley pounded in a one yard run for a touchdown to tie the game with 2:26 left in the 3rd quarter. Thornton's extra point gave the Jackets a razor-thin 24-23 lead.
CMU continued to struggle against a revitalized Graceland defense, and Mathis Thomas added a two yard grinder for a touchdown with 1:06 remaining to give the home team an additional cushion in the final minute. The Eagles' final drive was brave, getting well into the Graceland half as the clock expired, but ultimately futile as GU's defense continued to dominate late.
"It was a great team win. There isn't much more to say beyond that," said Coach Jeff Douglas. "We were down 13 at halftime, and our defense stepped up when it mattered. Our offense showed up when we needed them and it was an all around win. When we are successful, it was because all units did their part. I am proud of the guys."
Dileel Bartley carried the ball 18 times for 85 yards, while Mathis Thomas added 47 yards on 15 carries. Raysean Brown caught three balls for 110 yards, and Johnie Williams also corralled three catches for 66 yards.
On defense, Marcus Zweifel led the way with eight solo tackles and seven assists. The ever-reliable Billy Wendt added five tackles and five assists, and David Edmondson got a sack in amongst eight total tackles. Treveon Billings also provided a sack to end the game, and added six total tackles as well.
While the win on Homecoming provided the fireworks, the afternoon was also graced with a halftime presentation of the Freeman Award to GU athletics' top academic performers. The halftime period also saw the unveiling of the 2014 Hall of Fame awards to former Olympian Verneda Thomas and Jacket wrestling legend C.R. Auxier.
The Jackets advance to 4-3 on the season, with a 3-2 record in the HAAC. GU will host the #25 Benedictine College on Saturday, October 23rd in Lamoni, in what should be a real test for the resurgent GU team. That game will be a 2:00pm start.
Stay tuned to GUjackets.com for continuing coverage of Graceland football and all Yellowjacket athletics.