Chicago, Ill. – The Mayville State University Football team comeback falls short on Saturday to Roosevelt Lakers by a final score of 37-32. The Comets drop to 0-1 on the regular season with their home opener next weekend.
Mayville State started the game with the football and held the ball for the first six minutes of the game and attempted a 25-yard field goal but it was blocked and returned for a touchdown to give the Lakers a 7-0 lead. The first offensive drive for the Lakers resulted in a touchdown to give them a 14-0 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter.
Mayville State would answer right back with a touchdown on a 13-yard touchdown run from Mason Ollman to cut the lead to 6-14. With 13:36 left in the second quarter, Roosevelt scored a touchdown on a 21-yard passing touchdown to extend the lead to 21-6 midway through the second quarter. Six minutes later, the Comets scored a touchdown on a six-yard touchdown pass from Salmon to Austin Urlaub to cut the lead to nine with 7:16 left in the first half.
After a turnover on downs late in the first half, MSU took over at their 14-yard line and drove the ball 86 yards in four plays, and scored a touchdown on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Salmon to Davison to cut the lead to two. After a great kick return to the MSU 46, RU would complete a pass down to the 20-yard line of MSU and would clock the ball to kick a 37-yard field goal at the horn to give them a 24-19 lead heading into the intermission.
The Lakers received the opening kick-off for the second half and put together a drive that lasted four plays, 75 yards, and took 1:29 to give them their lead at 11. Mayville State was putting together a drive in the third quarter that lasted eight plays and 66-yards but a turnover on downs at the Laker nine-yard line.
Roosevelt University would take eight minutes off the clock in their next possession, but Derrick Prater picked off a pass at the five-yard line and returned it 34 yards to put the Comets in good field position to start their next drive. The Comets would drive the ball 61-yards in eight plays but fumbled the ball at the goal line and gave the ball back to the Lakers. Mayville State got the ball back with 7:39 left in the game and did not waste any time putting the ball in the endzone going one play going 45-yards in 10 seconds to cut the lead to five.
Roosevelt answered with a touchdown of their own on five plays, 70 yards and it took 3:00 minutes. MSU would not go away scoring a touchdown 1:36 later a touchdown pass to Reece Smith from 22-yards to cut the lead back to five. Mayville would force a punt with one minute left in the game, but Salmon threw an interception that ended the game.
Mayville State finished the game with 159 rushing yards, 411 passing yards for a total of 570 yards on the game with three turnovers. Defensively, the Comets allowed 333 rushing yards, 207 passing yards, and 540 total yards of offense. Tim Salmon went 16-30 with 411 passing yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. Mason Ollman ran for 88 yards with one touchdown in the loss.
Javeion Davison finished the game with four receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Portillo tallied four receptions for 88 yards. Reece Smith recorded three receptions for 62 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Jelon Hilton led the Comets with eight tackles, Austin DeLaroque recorded six, and tallied one fumble recovery. Josiah Walker also had six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
The Comets have their home opener next weekend as they host the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point at Jerome Berg Field. The kick-off is scheduled for 1:00 PM against the Pointers.
