MONROE, La.?Rusty Smith hit Cortez Gent in
the middle of the end zone from 22 yards out with 20 seconds to play to lift
Florida Atlantic to a 29-28 come-from-behind victory over ULM Saturday night at
Malone Stadium in Sun Belt Conference action.
Smith completed seven-of-eight passes for 72
yards on the game-winning drive after ULM missed a 45-yard field goal that
would have given the Warhawks an eight-point lead with just under two minutes
to play.
The Warhawks (2-6, 1-3 Sun Belt) jumped out
to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter, but Florida Atlantic (3-5, 1-2)
stormed back with 20-unanswered points.
Kinsmon Lancaster gave ULM a 28-20 lead with
just under 12 minutes to play in the game with his third touchdown pass of the
night ? an eight-yard strike to Zeek Zacharie.
Lancaster finished the game 22-of-28 for 216
yards and the three touchdowns. He moved
into sole possession of fifth place on the ULM career touchdown passes list with
32, just one behind Doug Pederson for fourth.
He also carried the ball 14 times for 86 yards.
Smith completed 28-of-39 for 267 yards and a
pair of scores. Gent finished the game
with five catches for 73 yards and two touchdowns.
The Owls began their fourth-quarter comeback
with a Warley Leroy 22-yard field goal with 5:41 remaining in the game.
On the ensuing possession, the Warhawks
marched the ball 50 yards on nine plays, but a holding call on a second-down
play on the Florida Atlantic 30-yard line pushed ULM back to the 36. After a one-yard loss, Lancaster hit Darrell
McNeal for a nine-yard completion on third down to set up the 45-yard field
goal attempt, which sailed wide left.
ULM found the end zone twice in the first
quarter on a six-yard touchdown pass from Lancaster to Anthony McCall and a
four-yard run by McNeal. In the opening
minutes of the second quarter, Lancaster hit McNeal for a 13-yard touchdown to push
the lead to 21-0.
Smith put the Owls on the board with a one-yard
run with just under two minutes left in the second quarter. Following an interception on ULM's next possession,
Smith threw a 13-yard score to Gent in the waning seconds of the first half.
ULM had an early opportunity in the second
half to extend its lead back out to 14, but a fumble on the Florida Atlantic
13-yard line halted the drive. The Owls
took advantage of the mistake four minutes later with a 37-yard field goal by
Leroy.
Following a ULM three-and-out, Leroy capped
an 11-play drive with a 36-yard field goal to pull the Owls within 21-20.
The Warhawks wrap up the home portion of the
schedule next Saturday against Troy at 6 p.m. in Malone Stadium.
Scoring
Summary
ULM ? McCall 6-yard pass from Lancaster
(Jabour kick), 8:08,1st
ULM ? McNeal 4-yard run (Jabour kick), 5:11,
1st
ULM ? McNeal 13-yard pass from Lancaster
(Jabour kick), 10:53, 2nd
FAU ? Smith 1-yard run (Leroy kick), 2:43, 2nd
FAU ? Gent 13-yard pass from Smith (Leroy
kick), 0:33, 2nd
FAU ? Leroy 37-yard FG, 7:53, 3rd
FAU ? Leroy 36-yard FG, 0:57, 3rd
ULM ? Zacharie 8-yard pass from Lancaster
(Jabour kick), 11:56, 4th
FAU ? Warley 22-yard FG, 5:41, 4th
FAU ? Gent 22-yard pass from Smith (Pierre
run failed), 0:20, 4th
ULM
Notes:
* Quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster moved into
sole possession of fifth place on the ULM career passing touchdown list with 30
on his first quarter touchdown to Anthony McCall
* Lancaster is just one touchdown behind Doug
Pederson for fourth place on the career list (33)
* Tonight was Lancaster's third game this
season with three touchdown passes (Alabama A&M, Arkansas State, Florida
Atlantic)
* Wide receiver Darrell McNeal's four-yard
touchdown run in the first quarter was his fourth non-receiving touchdown of
the season (3 rushing, 1 passing) ? he has four touchdown receptions on the
season
* Sophomore defensive back Alex Ibe recorded
his first career interception in the first quarter
* ULM's 21-0 lead in the second quarter
marked the second straight game that the Warhawks held such an advantage
* Junior cornerback Otis Stamps recorded his
first career interception in the fourth quarter
* Cardia Jackson recorded 15 tackles on the
game ? his fifth straight with double-digit stops
ULM Quotes:
ULM Sophomore Running back Frank Goodin
On the game
We started out strong and fast, but that's not
the main ingredient. You have to finish strong. Obviously Florida Atlantic
wanted it more than we did. Last week was a learning experience for us.
On the fumble
I don't know. It was just a missed handoff.
It was a little confusing.
ULM Senior Quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster
On letting Florida Atlantic hang around
We had them down and we came out and as an
offense we turned the ball over. We gave them a little momentum when we had the
chance to put the game away and knock the air out of them. We just kept letting
them back in and didn't capitalize on the chances we had.
On his third three-touchdown game of the
season
It's just the receivers making plays. The
offense is giving me time to make plays and make reads down the field. The receivers are
making plays and finding ways to make it into the end zone.
On turning the ball over
We haven't really had much trouble turning
the ball over, but when we did they have been at key moments. We just have to
get better and take care of the ball.
ULM Head Coach Charlie Weatherbie
On the game
The interception before halftime gave them
seven points and then the fumble gave them three. We still had opportunities. We
are down there with the chance to kick a field goal and go up by eight. We
would have forced them to go for two and they missed it. We would have beaten
them. There are a lot of ifs and buts in a football game. I'm proud of the way
our guys fought. They played hard. We gave them a couple of cheap things. They
gave us a couple of cheap things. It was one of those games that came down to
the last minute like four other ones that we have played them in. It is
disappointing thing to lose.
On the field goal attempt by Radi Jabour
45 yards is a piece of cake for Radi
Jabour. He can kick 55, 60 yard field goals. He tried to over kick instead of
kicking through it. He pulled it to the right because he over kicked. He's a
freshman. I think under fire like that helps you grow tremendously.
On the ?missing ingredient'
Tonight it was a turnover or two. We can't
turn the ball over. They give us a couple, but we can't give them back. We
throw that interception and they get a touchdown out of it just before halftime
to get the momentum back. It should have been 21-7. In the second half we were
getting ready to go into score and we fumbled the ball. We have been great in
taking care of the football until today.
FAU Quotes
Florida Atlantic Senior Lineman Nick Paris
On playing the game
I'm just playing to have fun. I have a couple
games left as a senior and I want to enjoy them. When you get down, you can't
get negative because you're not having fun. All the times when we win and do
well, we are having fun. We are joking around and cutting up. And yeah some
people might think now is not the time to do that, but who cares. We are just
having fun and playing a game. Sometimes people lose sight of the fact that it
is just a game and you have to have fun.
On the final drive
I've been friends with Rusty for a long time.
I would not trade him for another quarterback. Even when he was down after
throwing those interceptions. He is not just my friend, he is my quarterback. I
love him to death. I would not want anybody back there to run the two minute
drill other than him. Knowing we had to go out there and do that it was good to
know who was behind me.
On the early mistakes
The refs. Seriously, you can put that down.
Decisions from people who aren't on either team. I don't know. When we got down
that low I was kind of like man how are we going to get out of this. Like I
said it was good to know who I had playing around me. Yeah we made some mistakes;
we had a couple of drops. We didn't make plays when we needed to at some points.
But when we really needed to make them we made them. It's good to know that
when it is time to step up the people around me stepped up.
Florida Atlantic Junior Quarterback Rusty
Smith
On the last drive
The final drive was a series of plays that
were very key catches and first downs that enabled us to move the chains. We
didn't have any timeouts. It reminded me a lot of the Lafayette game last year.
We were able to put it in there. Again on the touchdown pass, the structure of
the route was not ran. Snoop, me and him have been here working since the very
beginning. The route structure was for him to break out and the defensive backs
were sitting outside waiting for it. He read it and as soon as I saw him look, I
knew immediately he was going to break inside. It was wide open. It almost got
batted down, but the lord really works magical things when you put faith in
him. It was very special.
On the early mistakes
It was very good for us to come and get over
the mistakes that we made. You are right by saying we made mistakes, but we
were able to overcome them. We stayed positive throughout the entire game.
Going into the halftime able to get 14 points was a big momentum boost for us.
Florida Atlantic Sophomore Wide Receiver
Cortez Gent
On getting the win
It felt great. We needed that to keep the
momentum going. We have a two-game winning streak. We have a bye week so we are
going to use this as a motivation booster for us.
On the game winning touchdown
He gave me a corner route, but they had been
seeing it all night long. They did a great job of adjusting and pretty much the
safety ran the route for me. I just cut it back and it so happened that Rusty
and I were on the same page. I bent it in like a skinny post and the ball was
there.
Florida Atlantic Head Coach Howard
Schnellenberger
On the game
We had to look so bad and so inept for so
long to get the full value of the heroics that happened in the last part of the
game. If we would have come out and played better and had the officials shown a
little more maturity in their selection of plays to penalize this game would
have not been such a dramatic game. I should start out by congratulating our
opponent. They certainly played well enough to win, although it would have been
a penalty-aided win. It was just what we needed. An example of not playing
consistent. Not playing smart enough and to dig a deep hole that for all
practical purposes was impossible to crawl out of, but they did. And this will
go down in the history books of Florida Atlantic's program as one of the real
highlights. A red badge of courage if you will.
On the ?ugly' first 20 minutes
I can't get myself to say that word. It
reminded me of a plastic surgeon when he is halfway through a beautiful girl's
face. For a moment, it is ugly, but it turns out pretty damn good.
On the Howard Schnellenberger masks
I didn't turn around and see any of it. I
never saw one. I'm still trying to figure out what the heck they did. What was
the thought about it? It seems like something that was dreamt up in a beauty
salon or barber shop. But I'm really touched that they did. I'm sure that it
was an outpouring of reverence and good wishes.
On the going for it on the first series
Once I get to where I know I have a rock hard
defense and I have a better offense I won't hesitate to kick the field goal in
that juncture. When you don't have enough proof that you have an offense that
is going to be there out of the next 11 drives you are going to put points on
the board, you tend to want to take a chance.
