Offense stumbles for CMS in season-opening road loss to Puget Sound
TACOMA, Wash. – A field goal attempt to tie the game by the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football team with six seconds left came up short, as CMS fell 13-10 to the University of Puget Sound at UPS' Baker Stadium in the season-opener for both teams on Sept. 6.
CMS (0-1) gained possession of the ball for the final drive with 1:12 on the clock at their own 17-yard line, after a 43-yard punt by UPS' Sawyer Petre that he barely got off after a bad snap. Once CMS took over the ball on the final drive, CMS moved the ball 51 yards on six plays to set up the potential game-tying field goal attempt by sophomore Matthew Aven, which he missed from 49 yards.
After the touchdown, CMS' defense stood tall and held UPS off of the board until the 2:26 mark of the second quarter. UPS got its first points on a 22-yard field goal with 2:26 left in the half after a 6-play, 72-yard drive. In the final two minutes of the quarter, the teams traded possession four times with each team's quarterback throwing an interception. With under a minute left in the first half, UPS' senior defensive back Nasser Abdelrasul picked off Reynolds' pass and returned it 40 yards to the CMS 25-yard line.
On the next play, Puget Sound took a 10-7 lead with 43 seconds left in the half on a 25-yard touchdown pass from back-up quarterback Hans Fortune to wideout Kevin Miller.
In the second half, CMS' lone score came with 2:31 left in the third quarter on a 22-yard field goal that tied the game at 10-10. Aven was 1-for-3 on field goals in the game.
The CMS defense stood tall in the second half as it did in the first. Puget Sound's lone score wasn't until 2:58 left in the game and it only came after Puget Sound took the ball over on offense in CMS territory at the 47-yard line.
Puget Sound moved the ball down to the 16-yard and set up what ended up being the game-winning field goal by Petre from 32 yards out.
On offense, freshman running back Shane Pico had 46 yards rushing while Cziesla had 28 yards receiving on three receptions in their debuts.
CMS is back in action on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. against another Northwest Conference opponent, Lewis & Clark, in the home-opener at Zinda Field.