Bulldogs come back to bite the Bucs

JOHNSON CITY — By the time ETSU's ROTC cadets fired the cannon behind the end zone to signal the end of the game, the shot heard around the Southern Conference had already hit its mark. Samford quarterback Gabarri Jackson hit running back Domonique Thomas with a 7-yard touchdown pass on the game's final play to lift the Bulldogs to a 37-35 upset victory over the Buccaneers. Saturday's home loss on Senior Day was ETSU's second heartbreaker in a row and left the Bucs' playoff hopes in tatters. "We let them stay in it, and they found a way to get it done at the end," said ETSU coach Will Healy. "Gut-wrenching." The Bucs entered the day looking to shake off a tough loss to Tennessee Tech last week and continue their pursuit of a playoff spot. Things started out well enough as ETSU (6-4, 4-2) was able to limit the Bulldogs (4-6, 4-3) to field goals in each of their first three trips into the red zone. The Bucs, meanwhile, were able to convert their first three red zone visits into touchdowns, the third coming on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Mason Mims to Charlie Browder that put the Bucs up 28-16 with 1:33 remaining in the third quarter. The momentum changed when Healy made the decision to kick the ball deep on the ensuing kickoff, and Samford's Kevonte Corbin promptly returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to make the score 28-23. "The game changed when I kicked the ball deep again, and they scored," Healy said. "I sat here last week and said I'm not going to get let my ego get in the way. I made the decision to kick the ball deep again, and they creased it and scored. It changed the flow of the football game." On ETSU's next drive, running back T.J. Peyton fumbled the ball on a delayed handoff, and Samford recovered it at the 8-yard line. Johnson ran in for a touchdown from 4 yards out and connected with Marquise Henderson on the two-point conversion to put the Bulldogs up 31-28 with 14:53 left in the game. "Good job by them punching that ball out," Healy said. "Obviously our ball security was not where it needed to be. T.J. has done a tremendous job, especially the last six or seven weeks, but they made a great play and were able to get the ball back." Losing a 12-point lead in under 2 minutes swung the momentum over to Samford's sideline, but the Bucs were able to recover on their final offensive drive. Mims connected with wide receiver Brandon Winton on fourth-and-9, and Peyton picked up another crucial first down on fourth-and-1 with 1:33 left to play to keep the Bucs' hopes alive. Mims was able to cap the drive with a 10-yard TD pass to Winton with 57 seconds left in the game to put ETSU up 35-31. "There were some massive plays," Healy said of Mims, who finished with 171 yards passing and two touchdowns. "The throw in the back of the end zone - big-time plays and a lot of growth by him as a freshman quarterback to end the game." But Samford wasn't done. The Bulldogs were able to move the ball all the way to ETSU's 7-yard line in just 51 seconds thanks in large part to Johnson's running ability. "A guy who can run like him, you rush three and you drop eight," Healy said. "You're hoping you kind of fold back underneath and have a chance to make the play. The guy made some really tough runs, took some shots, kept getting back up and made a bunch of plays." There were just 3 seconds left on the clock when Johnson took the final snap of the game. The Bucs brought pressure, and Johnson calmly found Thomas in the flat for the game-winning score. "Last play of the game, that's kind of been our answer, to bring pressure," Healy said. "That was at least twice they went to the back in those situations, and they found a big way to win the game." The Bucs lost despite outgaining Samford 367-323. ETSU rolled up 196 yards rushing while Samford managing just 99 with the bulk of those coming on quarterback scrambles on the final drive. Peyton led the way with 89 rushing yards for the Bucs while Jaiden Daniels added 79 with 57 of those coming on a touchdown run in the first half. Up Next: ETSU will attempt to pick up a conference win next Saturday when the Bucs travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to face Wofford.