By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Austin College drove 17 plays to the go-ahead field goal with six minutes left Saturday and held off Centenary 16-14 Saturday in the fifth-place game of the inaugural Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Football Championship on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.
The Gents finished their season at 1-8 overall and the ‘Roos, ended at 3-6 – all three wins over Centenary. Austinn College recorded a 41-15 win over Centenary on Oct. 4 in Sherman, Texas and a 20-10 win in Shreveport last week ending the regular season.
Centenary finished with 291 yards of total offense on 59 plays and 16 first downs as the Gents rushed for 211 yards and passed for 80. Austin College totaled 386 yards on 70 plays and 22 first downs. The ‘Roos rushed for 242 yards and passed for 144.
The ‘Roos hopped to a 7-0 lead with 3:08 remaining in the period, cashing in a 15-play, 71-yard drive. Two plays and 43 seconds later, the Gents tied the score as senior running back Obadiah Butler dashed 63 yards for his sixth TD of the season.
Austin College responded quickly, with a six play, 69-yard drive for a 34-yard TD pass from Jaylon Talton to Jeremiah Johnson and the ‘Roos led 13-7 with just 57 seconds to go before halftime.
On the first possession of the second half, freshman D’Colby Chambers of Plain Dealing intercepted Talton in the end zone. Chambers recovered a fumble later in the third quarter and returned it 35 yards to the AC 7-yard line.
On fourth and goal from the 4, Butler scored and the PAT by freshman Zane Wyss, a Captain Shreve product, made it 14-13 Centenary early in the final period.
The ‘Roos responded with an impressive 76-yard drive on 17 plays which took 8:10 and Caleb Balderas – who had missed an extra point earlier — nailed a 23-yard field goal to give the ‘Roos a 16-14 lead with exactly 6 minutes on the clock.
On the Gents’ next drive, freshman fourth-team quarterback Brock Hamilton was intercepted by Evan Dennis and the ‘Roos took over at their own 34-yard line. They converted a fourth-and-1 from their 43 and ran out the clock.
Butler rushed 17 times for a game-high 138 yards and two TDs. Butler also returned three kicks for 72 yards as he finished with 226 total yards.
Hamilton was 13-20 for 80 yards and an interception.
Senior defensive lineman Demetrus Gladney Jr. of Haughton and junior linebacker Devon Strickland from Byrd were among four Gents with six solo tackles and eight total stops. Gladney Jr. added 2.5 tackles for loss.
Butler put the finishing touches on a sensational season as he ran for 687 yards on 81 carries and six TD and amassed 1,690 all-purpose yards. He finished the regular season second in the conference in rushing yards/game and was fourth nationally in all-purpose yards entering Saturday as he averaged 183 yards/game.
Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu