2112 Week 12

For the second time this season, I had no answer for the passing game. LSU jumped on my ass early and often, scoring three TDs through the air in the first quarter alone. My CB, Leffew, intercepted another pass inside the red zone to prevent a fourth score in the first period and a kickoff rtn for a TD helped me from totally getting dismantled. At the end of 1, LSU 21, NSU 10.

My offense began making some headway in the second quarter, controlling the ball a little bit better. Backup RB Garcia took a sweep play off the right side for a 78-yard td to cut the lead to four amazingly. NSU took the lead after yet another interception by Leffew but this time he took it back 88-yards for the score. Another td pass by LSU's Herrring put the Tigers up by four seconds before halftime.

The third quarter was owned by the Tigers. A fifth td pass put LSU up 35-24 then a 28-yard fumble return put LSU up 42-24. My offense stalled as the Prairie Dogs managed just one first down the entire quarter. LSU added a field goal early in the fourth and it looked like a runaway at that point.

Then something rammed itself up the butts of NSU and suddenly the team came alive. Davis, who had just 53 yards on 18 carries up to this point, busted into the end zone on a one-yard plunge. Herring threw his fourth pick of the game on their first possession after my td. Two plays later, my backup QB (and hometown kid) Clark hits TE Jones for a td. Suddenly, I am back into the game.

A field goal and another touchdown and the game is tied!!! Even I'm shocked.

But......

On the kickoff, LSU's CB Ford took the kickoff from the middle of his own end zone and tried to run it out. And it worked!

Almost...Ford returned the ball 97 yards but was tripped up at the five yard line (new record for longest opponent RTN with no TD). LSU ran three straight times before settling on an easy field goal to go up 48-45 with just 0:37 left. Game over.

But not yet! All of a sudden, everything worked for NSU. We returned the ball to the 21. Two deep out patterns put me into Tiger territory with two time outs to work with. Davis begins to look like the Heisman winner he should be () and picks up a third down first down and manages to get out of bounds. And end around puts NSU down to the 8 with 14 ticks left. A short pass to TE Frazier puts me down to the 2 with two seconds left!

Time to decided...take a chance on the win or force ot? I take a time out to think about it. I decide to play it safe and take two delay penalties to give me a better angle. Brown, my Groza award winning kicker was just one of three on the day. A missed 56-yarder and a blocked kick haunting him. But he nails the kick and off to OT we go!

I win the toss and pick defense first. Good choice. First play of OT Herring, who has 5 td passes and 534 yards in the game, throws his 5 int!!!

Davis, with just 82 yards in the game, is looking like he will have his streak of 24 straight 100+ yard games snapped. I hand off to him on an Ace HB Slam and he picks up 13 yards! Give it to the money player again and boom...two broken tackles later Davis enters the end zone and NSU WINS!!!

The Prairie Dogs outscore LSU 24-6 in the fourth and win the game 54-48 in overtime to hand LSU its first loss on the season. Davis finishes with 104 yards on 23 totes and two scores. LSU's WR McIntosh ended the game with 3 catches for 217 yards...all tds (83, 66, 68)

Games like this is why I play this game!

On other notes: Colorado gets the nod for the North title. CU beat me, loss to Mizzou. I beat Mizzou but lost to CU. I was the highest rated team, but they get the nod anyway.

CU defeated Texas to win the Big 12 title, forcing me out of the Alamo Bowl against 10-2 Aburn into the Holiday Bowl against 9-3 Cal.