Published: August 29, 2008 01:16 am            

FSU prevails, 23-20, on last-second FG

CLARION, Pa. — Junior Alex Ashley booted a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give Fairmont State a thrilling 23-20 victory over Clarion (Pa.) University in the season opener for both squads here on a chilly Thursday evening at Memorial Stadium.

Ashley’s game-winning field goal, his career-high third of the contest, came after Clarion knotted the score at 21 on a 34-yard touchdown run by Nick Sipes with 3:29 to play.

“All the preparation time and hard work pays off on nights like this,” said Ashley with a smile. “When I saw that last one going through the uprights I just told myself ‘Prepare to be jumped on.’ I knew it was coming because the guys were going crazy.

“I have to give credit to all of the guys. The line blocked great, the snap was good, Leo (Thomas) had a great hold and I just kept my head down and followed through. That’s my job.”

The win, Fairmont’s fifth in a row dating back to last season, improved the Falcons to 1-0 on the year. Clarion, which dropped its 17th straight game dating back to 2006, slipped to 0-1.

Fairmont’s young defense, which was decimated by graduation, grew up in a hurry here last night. The Falcons held Clarion to 271 total yards, including just 47 on the ground. Linebackers Dan Dario and Nate Black led the Falcon defense with seven stops apiece, while redshirt freshmen defensive linemen Devin Johnson and Luke Black both tallied six tackles each.

Offensively FSU rolled up 302 yards of total offense, 184 of which came through the air. Sophomore quarterback Vick Bradford completed 10-of-22 passes for a career-high 184 yards and two touchdowns. He connected on a 72-yard TD with sophomore receiver Perry Baker in the first half and on a 24-yard touchdown with Zack Page midway through the third period. Bradford, who suffered a finger injury on his non-throwing hand late in the contest, also rushed for a game-high 53 yards on 17 attempts.

“I watch a lot of film and today before the game I watched film at the hotel and I was really studying how their corners played,” said Baker. “On that one I knew Travis (Hawthorne) would get a block for me because he’s a great blocker. He did and instead of running straight ahead I cut it back outside and it was wide open. All I saw was green. Then their defenders had the angle on me so I let them overrun me and I just cut it back across the field and was off.”

For Page, the touchdown was his first career college reception and his first career college TD. Ironically on his touchdown catch he was filling in for Baker, who was battling leg cramps.

“I guess I got Perry’s touchdown,” said a grinning Page. “I saw him cramping and I went in the game and didn’t even really know the play. I got the play, did it, saw the ball coming my way and made it work. Vick threw a great ball, the line did a good job of protecting him and when everyone does his job good things happen.”

Page’s TD put the Falcons ahead 17-10 with 9:52 to play in the third. On Clarion’s next possession FSU cornerback Drew Rossignol came up with a Alfonso Hoggard fumble at the Golden Eagles’ 30. Four plays later Ashley, who opened the game with a 36-yard field goal to give FSU a 3-0 lead, connected on a 42-yarder to put Fairmont ahead 20-10 with 7:31 left in the third.

Clarion, however, refused to fold. The Golden Eagles, who were led by quarterback Gino Rometo who completed 21-of-31 passes for 224 yards and one TD, reeled off 10 unanswered points to tie the contest at 21 in the waning minutes.

“This was a big win for us because we knew Clarion had promised themselves that they were going to give everything they had tonight and they did,” said FSU coach Mike Lopez. “They gave a great, great effort out there. We knew there was going to be a point in the game where Clarion was going to come at us with everything they had and for us to win we had to deal with it and overcome it and we were able to do that.

“When Sipes broke through on that 34-yard touchdown run he broke about four or five of our tackle attempts. It was a great run. That’s how determined Clarion was to win, but we answered it.”

Sipes’ late scoring run, which tied the game, was set up when Fairmont running back Doug Brazill fumbled the football at the Golden Eagles’ 34-yard line on a first down play with 5:13 to play. Clarion quickly took advantage of the miscue by going 66 yards in just four plays, the last of which was Sipes’ impressive scoring jaunt.

Fairmont’s game-winning drive, which began with 3:23 to play, covered 47 yards and lasted for 10 plays. The scoring march had four big plays which helped lead to Ashley’s game-winning kick.

First, Bradford and Hawthorne connected on a 15-yard pass. Hawthorne, a junior transfer from Phoenix College, hauled in a team-high four receptions for 56 yards. Next true freshman fullback Cody Reed ripped off back-to-back runs of 13 and nine yards and finally Brazill was able to redeem himself and put Ashley in better field goal position when he rambled for 12 yards on a third-and-13 play which took the football to the Clarion 22.

“When I fumbled I was down, but Vick came and got me up,” said Brazill, who was held to just 45 rushing yards on 19 attempts. “Then when I saw them score I thought ‘Oh my God what’s going on.’ I didn’t want a loss to be on me.

“When we got the ball back coach told me ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s in the past. Step over that brick wall and get us some first downs and in a position to win this thing.’ That’s what I tried to do. I wanted to get the first down on that last one, but I was just short. It was close enough though because Alex got it done for us.”

Fairmont returns to action next Saturday when it opens its home schedule with a 1 p.m. game against Lake Erie College at Duvall-Rosier Field.

        

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