Jackrabbits drop overtime thriller at Western Illinois

Thursday, August 30

Macomb, Ill.

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

0-1

Western Illinois

1-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

South Dakota State

Western Illinois

8/30/2007 1:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

MACOMB, Ill. ? The longest game in South Dakota State University football history ended with the Jackrabbits falling short at Western Illinois, 29-26 in four overtimes, Thursday night at Hanson Field.

SDSU forced the extra sessions with its first touchdown of the game in the closing minute of regulation. Trevor Hohn set up the tying drive with a 63-yard kickoff return to give the Jackrabbits the ball at the WIU 30. Seven plays later, on second and goal, quarterback Ryan Berry found Colin Cochart in the left corner of the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown pass. After debating to go for a two-point conversion and potentially the victory, Parker Douglass kicked the extra point to knot the game at 13-all.

In the first overtime, the Jackrabbits had the first offensive possession. With second-and-four from the WIU 5, SDSU was whistled for a substitution infraction and ended up settling for a 22-yard Douglass field goal.

The Jackrabbit defense held firm on WIU's first offensive possession, but Leatherneck kicker Taylor Rowan, who missed his first two field-goal attempts, kept his team alive with a 38-yard field goal.

Western Illinois took the first possession of the second overtime and scored on a Matt Bahr 17-yard touchdown run.

The Jackrabbits answered again in dramatic fashion, scoring on fourth-and-four as Berry hit Chris Doblar on a crossing route from 19 yards. Douglass added the tying extra point to even the score at 23-all.

The two teams traded field goals in third overtime as Douglass connected from 36 yards and Rowan made one from 27 yards out.

In the fourth overtime, Western Illinois gained first-and-goal from the 9, but ended up settling for another 27-yard field goal by Rowan.

With another chance to win the game, the Jackrabbit offense could not come up with the knockout blow. On third-and-10 , Berry's out-pattern pass intended for JaRon Harris was intercepted by Patrick Stoudamire ? his second pick of the game ? to seal the victory for WIU.

Berry ended the night 16-of-39 passing for 139 yards. He threw for two scores and was intercepted three times ? twice in the first half ? in his first start since the 2005 season finale.

Cory Koenig led the Jackrabbit ground game with 117 yards on 28 carries. Harris led SDSU receivers with six catches for 58 yards.

The Leathernecks drew first blood , taking advantage of an interception and 48-yard return to the Jackrabbit 10 by Quinshin Riley on the first play of the second quarter. Matt Barr caped the three-play drive by finding Nick Coleman in the back of the end zone on a 5-yard pass.

SDSU cut the margin to one, 7-6, by halftime on two field goals by Douglass measuring 24 and 33 yards. Both Jackrabbit scoring drives in the second quarter covered 13 plays.

Two WIU rushers crossed the century mark. Barr, who relieved starting quarterback Zack Wells after the first offensive series, ran 15 times for 114 yards, while preseason All-America running back Herb Donaldson carried 28 times for 103 yards. Barr also completed 18-of-24 passes for 128 yards with one interception and the one touchdown.

Carl Sims led all receivers with nine receptions for 66 yards.

Defensively, six different Jackrabbits tallied double figures in tackles. Jimmy Rogers led the way with 13 tackles, followed by 12 from Chris Johnson. Brock Campbell, Eric Schroeder, Mitch Pontrelli and Justin Kubesh each added 11. Schroeder's defensive statistics included two and a half tackles for loss and a sack. Jason Bonwell contributed one and a half sacks and three tackles for loss.

Travis Cherry led WIU with 12 tackles.

SDSU continues its stretch against Gateway Football Conference opponents next Saturday (Sept. 8) at Youngstown State (Ohio). Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. ET.

Notes: SDSU's previous long game was a three-overtime loss at Augustana, 39-33, during the 2002 season ... the Jackrabbits now are 1-3 all time in overtime games ... SDSU dropped to 8-3 in season openers under coach John Stiegelmeier ... Douglass' four field goals in as many tries increased his Jackrabbit career school record to 50 ... Douglass has made four or more field goals in a game three times ... Koenig's 117 yards marked his seventh career 100-yard game and first since tallying 156 yards in the 2006 season opener versus Wisconsin-La Crosse ... Cochart's touchdown catch was the first collegiate reception for the redshirt freshman tight end from Kewaunee, Wis. ... redshirt freshman punter Dean Priddy landed three punts inside the 20-yard line in his collegiate debut ... Paul Aanonson, who missed the entire 2006 season, returned five punts for 57 yards, including a 29-yarder ... SDSU, which will join the Gateway Football Conference in 2008, dropped to 1-4 against Western Illinois