NIXA, Mo. (MacBulldogs.com) – Jalil Brown caught a swing pass from Tristan Szabo and took it 69 yards to the one-yard line then punched it in two plays later to push McPherson College ahead 34-27 with 1:12 to play, then the defense took over to hand the No. 16-ranked Evangel University Valor their first loss as a member of the KCAC.
Szabo threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns to become the all-time leader in career touchdown passes, moving past Shane Mascarenas. Brown led the Bulldogs with 247 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, including 132 yards rushing.
The Valor got the ball back with 69 seconds remaining and no timeouts, but the MC flexed its muscles, starting with a sack by D’Marion Alexander and finishing with an interception by Kirby Lewis to seal the Bulldogs biggest win in the Fiscus Era.
MC held the Valor to 296 yards of offense, and just 106 yards passing. Reid Potts threw two touchdowns but also had two interceptions. His first interception came in the first quarter to Nehemiah Figueroa.
Things were back-and-forth the whole way, but the Bulldogs never trailed. Evangel got the ball first and went three-and-out. Then, 10 plays and 67 yards later, Szabo found Harley Blaske for the record-breaking touchdown, a seven-yard pass.
The Valor leveled the score with a two-yard pass from Potts to Brady Allen, but the Bulldogs regained the lead early in the second quarter when Maxwell Barba drilled a 23-yard field goal. Four minutes later, again the Valor knotted things at 10-10.
Traven Lewis-Johnson once again gave the Bulldogs a 17-10 advantage with 42 seconds left in the half on a seven-yard pass from Szabo, but again the Valor had an answer, closing the half with a six-yard pass to Broc Lyle with six seconds left.
The Bulldogs opened the new half with a nine-play 44-yard drive, capped by a 40-yard field goal by Barba, the longest of his career.
Evangel again matched late in the third frame with a 32-yard kick by Jonah Edwards, but Brown capped a 10-play, 77-yard series with a two-yard touchdown. The Valor knotted the score with 2:20 to play in regulation.
The Bulldogs continue the toughest stretch of their season next Saturday, playing host to Friends University at McPherson Stadium, home of Paul Family Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
