Bulldogs Fall in Homecoming Tilt with Tarleton, 16-9

September 24, 2005

Weatherford, OK - Southwestern Oklahoma State University stepped up in competition and raised its collective game giving unbeaten Tarleton State a sharp scare before losing 16-9 Saturday in Weatherford.

SWOSU (1-4 overall), coming off its best half of football last week against West Texas A&M, were at their all-around best against the 17th-ranked Texans. Quarterback Steve Day threw for a season-best 143 yards and the defense produced another touchdown for a score.

“We are starting to come together and believe as a football team,” said SWOSU coach Ryan Held. “We had a lot of positives come out of this game. We played with energy and some urgency…two things we’ve worked extremely hard at in practice.”

The Bulldog offense ran more plays (69 to 64) and had the ball longer (32 to 28 minutes) but bogged down at critical moments and were kept from the endzone for the third time this season. Still, SWOSU put together four drives of 10-plays or more that chewed clock and kept the momentum on the Bulldogs side.

TSU (4-0), playing without suspended all-American tailback Derrick Ross, appeared not to skip a beat racing to a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter. SWOSOU then regrouped made adjustments and outscored the Texans’ 9-6 over the game’s final 50 minutes.

SWOSU’s first points came on a 32-yard field goal by Rusty Voight with 4:51 to play in the second, trimming TSU’s lead to 10-3. The field goal came on a 11-play, 65-yard drive that featured the Bulldogs’ longest gainer – a 29-yard pass-and-catch from Day to receiver Derek Wall.

The Bulldogs closed even further later in the second when defensive back Tommy Musa scooped up a Tarleton fumble and raced 50 yards for a score, cutting the lead to 10-9.

Tarleton kicker Paul Williams, who earlier booted a field goal of 26 yards, added a 30 and a 27-yarder to finish the game’s scoring.

SWOSU next will begin divisional play Saturday when they travel to face Lone Star Conference North rival Central Oklahoma . Game time is 2 p.m. in Edmond .