SWOSU Rally Falls Short, Lose 27-20 to ECU

October 8, 2005

Weatherford, OK - Southwestern Oklahoma State won in just about every football statistical category imaginable except for the one that mattered most – the final score – losing 27-20 to East Central University Saturday in Weatherford.

The loss was SWOSU’s sixth straight and left the Bulldogs with a 1-6 overall and 0-2 in the Lone Star Conference North. The win snapped a five-game losing skid for the Tigers and improved ECU to 2-5 overall and 1-1 in the division.

SWOSU’s offense continued its rapid improvement chewing up yards and field possession but it was two critical mistakes that proved the Bulldogs undoing. ECU scored 14 points thanks to an opportunistic defense that turned both a SWOSU fumble and an interception into a pair of touchdowns.

Even with the “gifted” 14 points, SWOSU made the Tigers sweat storming back from a 17-point, fourth-quarter hole in which the Bulldogs trailed 27-10.

SWOSU’s big-play receiver Danny Howard caught three passes for 54 yards on a fourth-quarter drive that was 66 yards in length. The final 24 of which came on a one-handed juggling catch that Howard wrestled away from an ECU defensive back. Howard finished the game 156 yards on seven catches, his second straight 100+ yard receiving effort.

SWOSU moved to within a touchdown later when quarterback Steve Day, who replaced starter Beau Dodson, moved the Bulldogs 79 yards in eight plays before the drive bogged down. Rusty Voight then punched through a 29-yard field goal and ECU’s lead had been trimmed to 27-20 with 8:47 to play.

SWOSU had two other opportunities to tie the game but they were stopped short on a fourth-and-two play at the ECU 40 and Day later was intercepted with 1:17 to end the rally.

Dodson led SWOSU on the ground with 88 yards, thanks primarily to an 82-yard touchdown scamper to open the game’s scoring midway through the first period. He also added 114 yards through the air but twice lost fumbles and threw an interception as SWOSU had four turnovers as a team.

Day completed 14-of-24 passes for a season-best 184 yards and one touchdown.

SWOSU continues play next week against Missouri-Rolla, a team that is 4-2 on the year. Gametime is set for 1 p.m. at Rolla, Mo. SWOSU returns home Saturday, Oct. 22 for a 6 p.m. game against Southeastern Oklahoma.