 "Photo: Alex Treneff")
The game clock ticks down with nine seconds to go, and Middle Tennessee quarterback Joe Craddock dances around a blitzing linebacker before heaving one last hopeful pass into the air.
The ball sails towards a sea of black and white jerseys-everyone has their arms outstretched in an attempt to secure the victory for their team. With no time left on the clock, the referees confirm what the crowd at Floyd Stadium was thinking, praying-Malcolm Beyah has indeed come down with the football and tied the game at 13.
"I had to turn around to see the ball," Beyah said. "I saw it was coming right to me, so I jumped up there and just grabbed it and landed in the end zone."
"It was a Hail Mary play, and you just hope for the best," Craddock said. "We call it hope. I guess you really don't have to hope when you have Malcolm Beyah on your team, because he can go up there and catch the ball. He's a playmaker."
Following a successful extra point, the Blue Raiders had done it. They had beaten Florida Atlantic, the reigning Sun Belt Conference champions, scoring the winning points with no time left on the clock. It was the only time they led throughout the entire game.
"Blackout Night" and an ESPN2 telecast brought the third largest crowd Floyd Stadium has ever seen, but many of the 25,766 fans had left by the time MT (2-3, 1-2 SBC) mounted its unlikely comeback.
"We were absolutely terrible in the first half," Craddock said. "I don't disagree with the fans at all for leaving at halftime. I would have left, too."
The Blue Raider offense could not move the ball effectively in the first half despite having excellent field position many times. Through the first two quarters, MT had the ball in FAU territory three times and once at the MT 49, but was unable to take advantage. In those four possessions, the Blue Raiders punted twice, turned the ball over on downs and lost a fumble, while gaining only 35 yards on 18 plays during those drives.
Heading into the half, the Blue Raiders had gained 81 yards on 27 plays, converted only one of eight third-down conversions and earned only three first downs (none in the second quarter).
"I was really, really mad and frustrated," Craddock said. "It's tough to see your defense out there playing so hard, and you can't do anything about it and put any points on the board."
However, the offense was able to come alive in the second half. Despite continued struggles running the ball, MT averages 66.4 rushing yards a game, the Blue Raiders were able to gain some yards through the air. MT gained 242 yards in the second half, with 204 of those yards coming through the air.
Beyah and junior receiver Patrick Honeycutt put up impressive performances for the Blue Raiders. Beyah finished the game with five receptions for 90 yards and the 32-yard, game-winning touchdown while Honeycutt pulled in nine passes for 113 yards and MT's other touchdown, which came with 5:22 left in the fourth quarter.
Kellem also turned in a fine performance. He finished with five tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.
What kept MT in the game was no doubt its stout defense. The Blue Raiders forced the Owls (1-4, 0-1 SBC) to commit four turnovers, including a fumble recovery by sophomore safety Jeremy Kellem that stopped the FAU drive on the MT one-yard line.
The defense made an even bigger stop when they forced FAU to kick a field goal with 1:15 left in the game. The Owls had marched to the MT five-yard line when sophomore defensive tackle Dwight Smith sacked FAU quarterback Rusty Smith for a 10-yard loss.
"I thought our defense was outstanding the whole game to hold a club like that to 13 points," MT Head Coach Rick Stockstill said. "[During] that last drive of the game when they got down there, they could have iced it with a touchdown, and our defense bowed up and held them to a field goal and gave us a chance."
Smith is the incumbent SBC Player of the Year, but he didn't play like it against MT. Smith completed 16 of 27 passes for 210 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions while being sacked three times. The star for the Owls, Tuesday, was senior running back DiIvory Edgecomb. Edgecomb racked up 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. His touchdown, FAU's only touchdown of the game, came in the first quarter on a 53-yard scamper to give the Owls a 7-0 lead.
The Blue Raiders will get a little time off to enjoy their victory. They don't return to action until Oct. 11 when they square off against Florida International in Miami. That game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
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