A Tale of Two Quarters
Eric Tabor
Monday July 30, 2007
The South Georgia Wildcats traveled to Tulsa on Saturday, July 28th, for their last game of the regular season. The Tulsa Talons, ranked first among Central Division teams, have clenched their spot in the 2007 playoffs. The Wildcats are still looking to secure a home playoff game. A win over Tulsa would take South Georgia another step closer to that goal.
Wildcats receiver Scott Cloman put the first points on the board, catching a 26 yard TD pass from QB D. Bryant. But it didn't take long for the Talons to answer with a score of their own. Tulsa kicker Luke Phillips booted a 52 yard field goal putting the score 7-3. The teams went back and forth for the rest of the quarter, ending it 14-12.
In the second quarter Tulsa scored first with a 12 yard pass from QB Justin Allgood to Antwan Floyd. The Wildcats struck next with two unanswered TDs going up 27-19. The Talons scored the next and final touchdown of the half with a 3 yard rumble by Odie Armstrong.
The third quarter was all Wildcats. Chavis McCollister had his third TD of the game to begin the second half. The Talons Delenell Reid returned a missed PAT for a two point conversion to put Tulsa within five. South Georgia scored on the last possession of the quarter giving them a 47-35 lead.
Wildcats quarterback D. Bryant threw for 406 yards, a league high for the season, and eight touchdowns. But Bryant lost three fourth-quarter turnovers, allowing the Talons to rally from a 47-35 deficit.
"This may be the most athletic team we will see all year," Talons co-owner Paul Ross had said during the week.
Tulsa’s Michael Shack recovered a Bryant fumble to set up one score and Delenell Reid intercepted his ninth pass of the season to set up another. Reid's pick came after Talons defensive end Terrance Carter came down across Bryant's shoulder, causing him to throw a wobbly pass.
Reid returned it 15 yards to the South Georgia 1 and Tulsa’s Odie Armstrong scored on the next play a 64-54 lead with 4:31 left.
On South Georgia's next possession, Bryant passed the Wildcats to the Talons 24 and had Chavis McCollister open in the end zone on the next play.
McCollister caught 12 passes for 275 yards and five touchdowns and was named offensive player of the game. But this time, Reid went over the top to swat away Bryant's on-target pass.
Bryant fumbled under heavy pressure on the next play, Tulsa's Jamar Ransom recovered and the Talons ran out the clock.
Bottom line in the third quarter, the Cats could do little wrong. In the forth, the Cats could do little right. South Georgia looses 64-54.
