September 24, 2011
Jackson, TN
The One That Got Away!
Ryan Bullock booted a 66-yard kick-off to the Tiger's 4-yard line, only to have it returned 72 yards setting the Maroon Tigers up at the Dragons 24-yard line. The Dragons defense was then faced with defending a short field, and they rose to the occasion. They held strong with a bend-but- don't break attitude allowing only a 27-yard field goal for the Maroon Tigers, and an early 3-0 lead.
That lead would not last long as the Dragons'
Devon Perry returned the kick-off 25-yards setting the offensive unit up at the 39-yard line. The eighth play of the drive allowed Quarterback
Alan Ferguson to connect with
Greg Moore for an 11-yard touchdown for the Dragons.
Ryan Bullock added the extra point for a Dragons 7-3 lead in the first quarter.
In the second quarter it was now time for the defensive unit to add to the turnover margin that has them ranked # 1 in the nation. The Dragons
Damien Harris leveled the ball carrier, forcing the pigskin to come out, which allowed
Jack Howard to gather it up and jog 14 yards into the end zone for another Dragons touchdown. After
Ryan Bullock connected for the extra point the lead was extended to 14-3 for the Dragons. With 3:26 left in the first half, the Dragons got the ball back in great field position. A delay of the game penalty against the Tigers, and a punt attempt that resulted in the punter being down by contact, put the Dragons in business at the Tigers 48-yard line. On the next play; the Dragons
Ezekiel Johnson broke containment and rushed to the Tigers 12-yard line. While pushing for extra yardage, the Tigers Darrius Williams stripped the ball free and the Tigers defense stopped the threat by recovering the fumble. The Tigers capitalized on 5 consecutive carries, sandwiched around 3 penalties against the Dragons. The final play in the drive was a pass over the middle from quarterback Donnay Ragland to Khamarr Smith for a touchdown. The extra point sent the game to half-time with the Dragons leading 14-10.
The third quarter was more of a defensive battle for both teams as the offensive units struggled to gain any advantage. Each team had their share of turnovers and penalties that cost possible scoring opportunities. The Tigers managed the only scoring drive in the quarter at the 3:07 minute mark with a 27-yard field goal by Brandon Hoffman… cutting the Dragons lead to 14-13 heading into the final quarter of the game.
The fourth quarter started with a new look on offense for the Dragons as McKensley (Ken) Marbury took over the quarterback responsibilities. The outcome of the change resulted in a 1-yard touchdown run by Marbury for his first touchdown of the season.
Ryan Bullock completed his 3for3 day on extra points and increased the Dragons lead to 21-13. Down by 8-points and with time a factor the Tigers sustained a 7-play 66-yard drive to the end zone. The 2-point conversion attempt failed as a swarm of defenders for the Dragons held tight and a 21-19 lead. The next series of downs did not go the Dragons' way and resulted in their using their last timeout of the game. After a failed 3
rd down conversion by the Dragons, the Tigers would get one more offensive opportunity to score. Using this opportunity to their advantage, a 20-yard pass from Byron Ingram to Derrick Hector for a touchdown gave the Tigers a 25-21 lead with just over 1 minute left in the game. The Dragons were unable to stop the clock and the time ran out as the Tigers escaped Lane Field with a 25-21 victory.
The loss was the second of the season for the Dragons as they completed the September schedule 2-2 overall and 0-0 in conference play. The Dragons travel to Tuscaloosa, AL for the first conference game of the season as they battle the Stillman Tigers October 1. On October 8 the Dragons return to Lane Field for a 2 p.m. scheduled kick-off against the Golden Rams of Albany State University.
