SHAWNEE, Okla. - The Southern Nazarene football team set a record with a 99-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, but it would not be enough as the Crimson Storm fell just short to Oklahoma Baptist, 30-24, on Saturday afternoon at Crain Family Stadium.
SNU went for 419 total yards on the afternoon and held a tough Bison offense to only 300 yards. However, 11 penalties as well as well as three Storm turnovers would be the demise in the Crimson Storm's season finale.
The Bison would take advantage of a pair of SNU turnovers and open up a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter as Preston Haire had a pair of touchdown passes early on. The Crimson Storm got the offense moving, going on a seven-play, 94-yard drive which included a huge completion from sophomore
Gage Porter to senior
Jacoby Hicks for 47 yards deep into OBU territory.
Two plays later, junior
Nate Walker took a short pass and found the endzone from nine yards out to cut the deficit to 14-7. The Bison would take advantage of Storm penalites on the ensuing drive, getting 38 yards of penalty to set up a short touchdown and move back ahead 20-7.
SNU would close the half with an impressive 75-yard drive, pounding it right at the OBU defense. Sophomore
Vance Hooper, a recent playmaker for the Storm, would take an option pitch from Porter to find nothing but green grass, going 32-yards for six to make it a 20-14 game.
The Bison tried to drive down and get points before the half, but junior
Josh Jordan made an unreal diving interception to close the half down 20-14.
SNU would start the second half with a massive 14-play, 48-yard drive that ate up 7:30 off the clock. The Crimson Storm thought they had a touchdown pass to junior
Dalton Sanders, but it was wiped out by a penalty and SNU would have to settle for a 36-yard
Carlos Anguiano field goal.
The Crimson Storm forced a 3-and-out on the Bison, but a terrific punt backed SNU down to their own one yard line.
With 5:04 to play in the third, Porter found Walker streaking down the seam and connected for the 99-yard score, giving SNU the 24-20 lead at the time. It is the longest offensive play in SNU and GAC history, topping a 98-yard touchdown pass by Arkansas Tech back in 2014.
OBU would respond on the ensuing drive with Haire's third tocuhdown pass to lead 27-24. On the next drive, Porter would be picked off to set up a short Bison field goal to take a 30-24 lead going into the fourth.
There would only be two drives in the fourth as SNU went on an insane 19-play, 58-yard drive as Porter pounded his way into OBU territory. The Crimson Storm would set up 1st and Goal at the four yard line, but then proceeded to lose 20 yards thanks to a big loss and two penalties. The Crimson Storm settled for a field goal with 4:03 to play, but it missed wide left.
SNU, with no timeouts remaining, desperately needed a stop, but three first downs from OBU closed the game and gave the Bison the 30-24 win.
Porter went 11 of 17 for 190 yards and a touchdown pass as well as 111 on the ground on 32 carries. Walker rushed seven times for 54 yards and also caught seven balls for 123 yards and a score. Hooper added 51 yards on the ground on four carries and caught three passes for 20 yards.
Haire was 25 of 38 for 172 yards and three touchdowns while Shae Garner hauled in 10 of those passes for 58 yards. Haire also rushed seven times for 66 yards.
Defensively, senior
Myles Roll had 10 tackles and a tackle for loss while senior
Daniel Flynn and junior Anthony Stephen II each had six tackles. For OBU, Lane Martin finished wth nine tackles while Felipe Alvear had eight and a TFL.
Southern Nazarene closes their season at 3-8 and will move into the offseason, looking to build off some success. The Crimson Storm will depart 12 seniors this season.
