Field Goal In OT Gives CMS 31-28 Win At Lewis & Clark In Season-Opener

PORTLAND, Ore. – Down by as many as two scores in the third quarter, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football team came all the way back and defeated Lewis & Clark (Ore.) 31-28 on a field goal in overtime on Saturday afternoon at Griswold Stadium. The win for CMS in its season-opener, avenged a 27-24 loss to Lewis & Clark last year in the season's first game in Claremont.

To start overtime, Lewis & Clark had possession first, but CMS sophomore DB James Ingram intercepted a Keith Welch pass to get the ball in the hands of the offense. Starting on the 25-yard line, CMS moved the ball to the 19-yard line which set up freshman K Matthew Aven who kicked the game-winner on his first collegiate attempt.

What sent the game to overtime was a 4-yard touchdown pass from junior QB Sean McKaveney to senior WR Kris Otterholt with eight seconds left in regulation. Down 28-21 after a 26-yard field goal by Lewis & Clark kicker Josh Cena with 5:06 remaining in the game – and punts by both teams - CMS got the ball back and marched 60 yards in 10 plays over 2:54 to tie the game.

McKaveney completed 20-of-35 passes on the afternoon for 156 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 92 yards rushing on 13 attempts. Otterholt led the Stags with 58 yards receiving on nine catches.

CMS started the game out in front as freshman Trey Reynolds got the Stags on the board with a 15-yard touchdown run at the 5:23 mark of the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead after a failed extra point conversion. The drive was set up by a forced fumble by Ingram who finished second on the team with 10 tackles. Junior LB Max Winsberg had a team-high 11 tackles for CMS while Lewis & Clark was led by Stein Retzlaff with 12 tackles.

Lewis & Clark jumped ahead 7-6 on a 7-yard pass from Welch to Andrew Frisina with 3:54 before halftime and added a second touchdown and a two-point conversion to take a 15-6 lead into the break.

With 11:55 left in the third quarter, Cena added a 27-yard field goal to push the Lewis & Clark lead to 18-6. Over the final 4:12 of the third quarter, CMS scored two touchdowns to take a 21-18 lead into the fourth quarter. Sophomore RB Cameron Griffin scored on a 1-yard TD at the 4:12 mark of the third quarter. McKaveney then connected with senior WR Greg Wilson on a wide open, 31-yard strike to give CMS the lead at 21-18.

Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Lewis & Clark answered back and retook the lead on a 26-yard TD pass from Welch to Frisina to go ahead 25-21. Lewis & Clark later added a field goal for a seven point lead which set up the CMS comeback.

CMS had a balanced offensive attack on the game with 156 yards passing and 151 yards rushing. Lewis & Clark put up 501 yards of total offense.

Next up for CMS is its home-opener on Saturday, Sept. 21 against Rhodes at 7 p.m.

Box score: http://www.cmsathletics.org/sports/fball/2013-14/boxscores/20130914_v1mj.xml

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