The Bucs are moving on in the FCS Playoffs thanks to an incredible chain of events following the matchup against the Kennesaw State Owls.
With under five minutes left to play and trailing 17-31, Greene Stadium was somber. The thoughts of this season ending in such heartbreaking fashion echoed throughout the stadium. Heads were down and the once-electric student section was quiet enough to hear a pin drop from across the field.
Then it started.
The Bucs offense hit the field with 4:59 remaining in the fourth quarter. A two-score game and plagued by offensive struggles in the second half, the odds were most definitely not in the Bucs’ favor. After an unsuccessful run, Bucs QB Tyler Riddell (Tampa, Fla.) looked to tight end Nate Adkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) on back-to-back plays to advance the Bucs down the field and bring the crowd back to life.
Riddell took a late hit and connected with running back Quay Holmes (Powder Springs, Ga.) and the Bucs were moved into Kennesaw State territory as time was quickly ticking off the clock. Four plays later the Bucs season was on the line as the team faced a fourth-and-five situation. The student section was once again electric as the Bucs marched forward and kept hopes alive on a ten-yard catch by Holmes that set the Bucs up at the 12-yard line. Two plays later Riddell found WR Will Huzzie, (Duluth, Ga.) in the endzone for a touchdown with 1:28 remaining in the game.
24-31 and the Bucs kicker, Tyler Keltner (Tallahassee, Fla.), made his way onto the field. The only chance the Bucs have is to execute a flawless onside kick. Only recovered, on average, 23.8% of the time in college football, the Bucs once again defied the odds, and just as his career point-after attempts, the kick was perfect and the Bucs were able to recover the ball with 1:26 remaining.
As the momentum shifted into ETSU’s favor, chants for the Bucs echoed throughout the stadium and the once lively Kennesaw State bench was no longer dancing and taunting the student section.
The energized offense came onto the field ready to play. Another set of back-to-back passes by Riddell to Adkins saw the Bucs move 34-yards in two plays. After two incomplete passes, the Bucs forced an offside and were able to set the ball at the Kennesaw State four-yard line. A quick pass to running back Jacob Saylors (Jasper, Tenn.) was for no gain and ETSU would use their final timeout with 40 seconds remaining.
The crowd, now at its loudest all day and waving rally towels in unison, watched as Riddell lined up to take arguably the most important snap of the season.
A moment that could only be found in a fairy tale, it was only fitting that the reigning SoCon Player of the Year, Quay Holmes, came down with the four-yard touchdown pass by Riddell, his third total touchdown of the day. The crowd erupted in celebration and the Bucs were one point away from tying the game and forcing an overtime situation. With a kicker like Keltner, the extra point is almost promised but Bucs head coach Randy Sanders wanted to make a statement and go for two points and take the lead.
The Bucs lined up to take the last-second lead from Kennesaw State and succeeded. Riddell found the tight end Adkins for another big-time play and the Bucs were suddenly up 32-31 over the Owls. From the sideline to the stands, not a soul was sitting as the offense left the field and the defense took over to secure the comeback win for the Bucs.
The Owls took the field with 28 seconds and one timeout remaining. A quick nine-yard pass followed by an immediate timeout left the defense three stops away from the FCS quarterfinals.
Two incomplete passes later the season came down to a Hail Mary for Kennesaw State and just as he has done all season long, defensive back Alijah Huzzie (Franklin, Ga.) broke up the pass as time expired and ended the Owls bid at a walk-off touchdown.
As the Kennesaw State players left the field, the Bucs rushed to the center in celebration, joined by the entire student section that met them on the 50-yard line as the Marching Bucs played “Blue and Gold.”
The (11-1) Bucs will now travel to face an (11-1) North Dakota State Bison program that has won eight National Championships in the last ten seasons.
The quarterfinals matchup will air on ESPN is set for Dec. 11, and kick-off is scheduled for 12 p.m.
