Posted: Oct 18, 2008
| ASHLAND, Ohio - It was a
game of halves as SVSU’s football team fought hard to come
back from a 24-0 halftime deficit to lose to Ashland University
31-28 today (Oct. 18). The Cardinals came out of halftime with a purpose when SVSU drove 65 yards in ten plays to get on the board when senior running back Brandon Emeott (Caro, Mich./Caro HS) rushed in for a 2 yard plunge at the 3:55 mark in the third quarter. Emeott had a career-high 182 yards rushing on the afternoon. But, Ashland would answer to take a 31-7 lead. It wouldn’t take long before the Cardinals got their second touchdown of the game when junior wide receiver Galen Stone (Grand Blanc, Mich./Swartz Creek HS) caught a 36-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Dan Stiefel (Emmett, Mich./Sterling Heights Stevenson HS). Stiefel had 229 total yards in the air on 18-38 passing, while Stone had 69 yards receiving and two touchdowns. On defense, senior defensive back Kyle Rowley (Oxford, Mich./Michigan St. Univ.) had a key fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter that set up the game’s final drive, and a chance for SVSU to win the game in the waning moments of the contest. With the ball on the SVSU one yard line, Stiefel handed the ball to Emeott for a two yard gain. On second down, Emoett got the ball again, and broke lose for 41 yards, but an illegal motion penalty brough the ball back to the SVSU two yard line. On Second and nine from the two, Brandon Hayes rushed for nine yards, enough to pick a Cardinal first down. On first-and-10, Stiefel was sacked for a six-yard loss with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Stiefel threw three consecutive incomplete passes to end the game, and the Cardinals’ comeback attempt falls just short. Junior linebacker John Jacobs (Prudenville, Mich./Midland Dow HS) had a game-high 18 tackles, while senior defensive back Matthew Black (Toronto, Ont. / Northern Secondary School) had six tackles and an interception. The loss puts the Cardinals at 4-3 overall, and 4-3 in the GLIAC as they prepare for their next game at noon next Saturday as they host Michigan Tech. next Saturday (Oct. 25). |