ISU Bengal

Issue date: 12/3/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Mr. Ecks

Media Credit: Fowers, Cody

Media Credit: Guenther, Dylan

After enduring a 0-11 start, none of the 4814 fans in attendance at Holt Arena on senior day could have expected the way the game would go. The Bengals played, by far, their best game of the season and won their first game of the season 36-33 in overtime over Sacramento State.
The first quarter started like most this year, as Sacramento State running back Bryan Hilliard would gash the Bengal defense for 74 yards rushing and capping the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. A failed two-point conversion attempt resulted in a 6-0 Hornet lead.
Unlike previous games this season, the Bengals would answer back quickly. Quarterback Kyle Blum hit Eddie Thompson with a 49-yard pass to set up the Bengals inside the Hornet 20-yard line. Four plays later, Kenyon Blue scored from six yards out to give the Bengals the 7-6 lead.
After each team went three and out the Hornets embarked on a 17 play, 73-yard drive that took over nine minutes, as the Bengal defense again had no answer for Hilliard, as he carried the ball 10 times on the dive and scored on a one-yard touchdown run to give the Hornets a 13-7 lead.
The Bengal defense would step up and not allow the Hornets to get anything going the rest of the second quarter, as they held them to two three and outs. This allowed the Bengal offense to take advantage as the passing of Blum and the running of Blue would get the team down to the five-yard line. Three plays later Clint Knickrehm would score from two yards out and give ISU a 14-13 lead. The Bengals would add three more before the half, as Mike Ramos would kick a 26-yard field goal and ISU would go into halftime, up 17-13.
The third quarter started fast for ISU, as they dug into their bag of tricks to score a touchdown. Thompson lined up at quarterback would run a reverse and pitch the ball to Blum who was lined up as a receiver and Blum hit a streaking Kenyon Blue, with a 54-yard touchdown pass and the lead was extended to 24-13. The Hornets would add a field goal to make the score 24-16 at the end of the third quarter.
The forth quarter was one for the ages, as the Hornets would battle back to take the lead. Led by Hilliard's two touchdown runs and a clutch two-point conversion the Hornets would hold a 30-27 lead with 51 seconds left in the game.
The Bengals final drive would start with Kenyon Blue taking the kick off five yards deep in the end zone and returning all the way out to the 43- yard line. Blum would then hit Edsel Logan, with a 23-yard pass and Kelvin Krosch for 15 yards, to get the ball down to the Hornet 29 with 20 seconds to go. After a short pass to Isaiah Burel, coach John Zamerberlin sent out kicker Mike Ramos to attempt the game, tying field goal on third down.
Ramos would make the 42-yard field goal to send the game into overtime and the crowd into frenzy with the possibility of victory.
"I hit it really well," Ramos said of the game tying kick. "I saw no laces and no white on the ball, and I knew it was going in."
The Bengals won the overtime-coin toss and elected to play defense, and the Hornets chose to drive towards the east end zone. After the coin toss a large group of the fans got up and moved down towards the east end zone to support their Bengals and make it as loud as possible for the Hornets.
The Hornets would got a field goal on their overtime possession, leaving the Bengals knowing exactly what they had to do to win the game, score a touchdown. After two short Blue runs, ISU faced a third down and one from the Sacramento State 16. Blue would take the handoff off right tackle and bolt into to the end zone for the game winning touchdown, giving ISU its first win of the year 36-33.
"I'm so happy for the guys," coach Zamberlin said. "It's been a tough year; they played their tails off and didn't quit."
Blue who rushed for a career high 118 yards and scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving also had ISU's first 100-yard rushing game of the season was piled on by his teammates in the end zone as they celebrated a fantastic victory.
"What a day for Kenyon," Zamberlin said. "He was a one man wrecking crew."
The victory ended ISU's 15-game losing streak and gave the senior class a memorable way to end their careers. The Bengals played by far their best game of the season and quarterback Kyle Blum threw for a career high 342 yards in just his second ever start, and Isaiah Burel had six catches for 127 yards to lead the team in receiving.
The Bengals finish the season with a 1-11 record, but they now have momentum headed into the off-season. It will be interesting to see how this victory will affect the team heading into next season.

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