MARQUETTE, Michigan – The Angelo State football team and Northern Michigan tried to replicate their first meeting from 1987 by going into overtime but the Rams changed the outcome with a Josh Steven's one-yard touchdown run to win 47-41 in triple overtime.
The Rams (1-1) had a 27-24 lead with three seconds remaining until Northern Michigan's Tyler Blackburn hit a 49-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game. The Wildcats (1-1) were down 17-3 at half but had scored 21 unanswered points until Trey Green scored with10:37 in the fourth quarter to regain the lead for Angelo State.
The teams traded touchdowns in the first two overtimes and NMU was looking for another lead in the third. On third down at the 23-yard line, NMU's Shaye Brown threw a ball to the end zone but Fred Lawrence went for the ball to intercept the pass to give the Rams an opportunity to win.
The Rams offensive line paved the rest of the way for the victory. Trey Green carried it twice for 16 yards followed by back-to-back runs by Stevens to take the ball down to the one-yard line. Stevens went right up the guton third and goal to end the game. Stevens finished the day with 81 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown while Green carried the ball 21 times for 81 yards and scored twice.
Jake Faber threw for 206 yards on 12-of-23 passing including a 16-yard touchdown throw in the first overtime to Ricky Pelzer. Pelzer and Mark Munson each caught three passes for 65 yards and one touchdown. Casey Eyman kicked a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter to go along with a 40.6
ASU outgained Northern Michigan 428-399 and forced three turnovers. It is the first game the Rams have played in overtime since Oct. 29, 2011 that was a triple overtime loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville.
The two teams traded three-and-outs on the opening two drives of the game, before the Ram defense stepped up and forced a fumble to set up ASU's first score. Casey Eyman put the ball through the uprights from 22 yards out to give the Rams an early 3-0 lead.
The Rams stayed ahead with several defensive stops before Jesse Drummer hit Mark Munson on 21-yard touchdown pass with 3:10 left in the first quarter. Eyman made the PAT to put the Rams up 10-0.
A flurry of defensive stops ensued again until the Wildcats got on the board on a field goal with 11:37 left in the first half.
The Rams responded on the next drive, however, using nine plays to drive down the field and get in the end zone again on a 10-yard run from quarterback Jake Faber. The touchdown pushed the Rams lead to 14, where it stayed all the way through the end of the half.
On the first drive of the second half, ASU marched down the field again on nine plays and added another field goal make the score 20-3 with 12:08 left in the third quarter. NMU tried to add another three points of their own less than two minutes later, but the 26-yard attempt from Tyler Blackburn missed.
The next five minutes of the third quarter were highlighted by defensive stops before the Wildcats finally got into the end zone for the first time on an interception by NMU defensive back Julian Hornback.
The Rams went three-and-out on their ensuing drive and the Wildcats used their momentum to find the end zone again on the next drive. A 43-yard pass from Shaye Brown to Walter Jackson set up the score and Brown ran it in, cutting ASU's lead to just three after the PAT.
ASU was unable to get anything going offensively again on the next drive, allowing UNM to take over the ball and soon take over the lead on a 69-yard pass from Aaron Harris to Julian Munday. The score along with the PAT put the Wildcats up for the first time at 24-20.
NMU held its four-point lead for the next four minutes before ASU got rolling offensively again with several runs from Green and some passes from Faber. Green punched the ball in from 10 yards out and the Rams retook the lead, 27-24, with 10:29 left in the game.
The score stayed that way all the way up until the Wildcats took the ball over with 2:10 left on their own 31-yard line, still down three. NMU drove down into ASU territory for a last-second field goal try. Tyler Blackburn hit the 49-yarder to tie the game as time expired, setting up overtime where the Rams would put the Wildcats away.
The Rams will not have to travel quite as far for their next game, traveling within the state to face their first Lone Star Conference opponent of the season in Tarleton State. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. in Stephenville.
