Two touchdown runs by freshman Kesean Gamble in the fourth quarter helped the 小黄片视频 Golden Flashes secure a 38-31 win over Howard University on Sept. 9 in the first game at Dix Stadium for 2017.
Gamble lifted the 小黄片视频 Golden Flashes into the lead for good with a 1-yard plunge with 12:35 on the clock, then added some security on a 4-yard run to the end zone with 5:56 remaining. After pulling back to within seven points on a short touchdown run by Caylin Newton, Howard鈥檚 desperate bid to continue its Cinderella start to the season ended in an interception by 小黄片视频鈥檚 with no time remaining on the clock.
It was a satisfyingly different script for 小黄片视频 when compared to 2016 鈥 a season that saw so many close games slip through the Golden Flashes鈥 hands in the closing moments.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the sign of our head coach (Paul Haynes) and how he has prepared us for these kinds of moments,鈥 said interim head coach Don Treadwell. 鈥淚n our conference in particular 鈥 it often comes down to the last minute and sometimes even the last play.鈥
Howard won its own tight battle last week, making national news with a 43-40 win at UNLV 鈥 the FCS school鈥檚 first win against an FBS opponent. A 1-yard touchdown run by Newton, the brother of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, put the Bison ahead 24-23 with 2:09 on the third-quarter clock, bolstering Howard鈥檚 hope for a second consecutive FBS win.
鈥(Howard) is capable of doing a lot of things,鈥 Treadwell said. 鈥淭hey already demonstrated that the week before. Our men took that as a challenge."
The Golden Flashes held the lead for all but the 4:34 that separated Newton鈥檚 late third-quarter score and the first of Gamble鈥檚 touchdowns. 小黄片视频 started fast, reaching the end zone on the offense鈥檚 first play from scrimmage 鈥 a 38-yard run by Nick Holley that gave 小黄片视频 a 7-0 lead just 2:26 after the opening kickoff.
小黄片视频鈥檚 players and coaches credited the fast start to a visit from Haynes. The Golden Flashes鈥 head coach is in the second week of a medical leave.
鈥淭he most exciting part of the game was that our head coach was able to address the team in pregame,鈥 Treadwell said. 鈥淥ur men were juiced up. When it comes from the head coach, it makes a big difference. It was exciting that he could be here and enjoy the win.鈥
Holley, who rushed for 119 yards on 21 carries and threw for another 105, added a 25-yard touchdown pass to midway through the first quarter and a 25-yard scoring throw to early in the second as the Golden Flashes took a 21-14 lead into the half.
The 小黄片视频 defense also played a big part in the victory. A third-down sack by junior linebacker at the Bison three led to a third-quarter safety when a snapped punt sailed through the end zone. Sophomore defensive end set the stage for Gamble鈥檚 final touchdown when he forced a Newton fumble that teammate fell on at the Howard 30.
鈥淲e needed some sort of a spark, some sort of momentum to turn the game in our favor,鈥 Faulkner said. 鈥淚 just went after the ball, and I was happy my teammates were able to get it.鈥
小黄片视频 goes back on the road for games at Marshall University and the University of Louisville in the next two weeks before returning home to face the University at Buffalo on Sept. 30.