Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State fell to Quincy by the score of 26-20 in overtime on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams in front of 7,216 fans at Memorial Stadium.
The Sycamores opened the game with a barrage, taking a 17-0 lead out of the gate. ISU sophomore kicker Braulio Martinez hit a 40-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 7:44 left in the first quarter. Martinez's kick capped a 10-play, 52-yard drive that took 4:59 off the clock.
The lead grew on a five-yard pass to sophomore Ryan Roberts from Stutzriem for a 10-0 advantage with 5:50 left in the opening stanza. The four-play, nine-yard scoring drive was set up by a Sam Donatucci fumble which was forced by Nate Brown and recovered by Aaron Archie.
Indiana State's lead ballooned to 17-0 on the biggest play of the game when tailback Darrius Gates hit Bryant Kent on a 75-yard scoring strike with 1:01 left in the first period, a play which was a perfectly executed tailback pass.
The Sycamores' 17-0 advantage was its largest since a 28-7 lead over Illinois State on October 2, 2004.
Quincy cut the Sycamore lead down to 17-3 with a 22-yard field goal by Alex Beard with 11:12 to go in the second quarter.
The lead went down to 17-6 on a 30-yard field goal by Beard with 10:12 to go in the third quarter, the period's only score.
That set up a wild fourth quarter in which Tyler Truttmann caught a 12-yard pass from Donatucci and then Donatucci found Chris Jenkins in the end zone for the two-point conversion to make it 17-14 with 14:09 to go.
The Sycamores answered back with a 27-yard Martinez field goal to make it 20-14 with 8:35 to go in regulation. Martinez connected on a pair of field goals against Quincy -- the first time in his career he has made more than field goal in a single game.
Donatucci knotted the score with 43 seconds left at 20 with a one-yard plunge into the end zone. Beard's kick failed after Quincy was flagged for a false start and had to make its attempt from the eight-yard line instead of the three.
Indiana State was unable to score and even had to survive a last second attempt by Quincy as they gained possession with three seconds left on the clock.
Quincy won the toss to begin overtime and elected to play defense. The Hawks held as the Sycamores lost the ball on a botched shotgun snap back to Stutzriem.
Quincy marched down to the one-yard line and the Sycamore defense held on first and goal, but on second and goal, Donatucci plunged in from a yard out to earn the 26-20 overtime victory.
Gates paced Indiana State with 102 yards on the ground while Stutzriem was 9-of-18 for 60 yards with an interception. Gates was the team's leading passer with 75 yards in the air on the trick play in the first quarter.
Ryan Roberts caught a team-high three passes for 18 yards while Kent paced the team with his 75-yard scoring catch from Gates.
Defensively, Donye McCleskey and Aaron Archie each had 10 tackles on the night while Archie added a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery. Nate Brown paced ISU with three tackles for loss and forced a fumble.
Lawrence Young recorded the team's only sack while ISU combined for nine tackles for losses in the game.
The Sycamores return to action on Saturday, September 5 when they travel to Louisville. Kick-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. (EDT).
