October 18, 2003

Football Rally Falls Short

Korth Throws for Over 400 In Loss to Chadron

            Kearney, NE – Austin Forster ran for 160 yards and three scores and the Chadron State defense came up big in the red zone as the Eagles hung on for a 28-22 victory over Nebraska-Kearney Saturday afternoon at Foster Field. Chadron improves to 5-2 (3-3 RMAC) while the Lopers drop to 4-3 (3-3 RMAC).

            Chadron has won seven of the last eight meetings between the two including the last four games played at Foster Field.

            UNK out gained the Eagles by 216 yards (547 to 331), including 419-148 in the second half, but the Lopers had to settle for field goals, or no points, several times in side the Chadron 20-yard line.

            The best example of this came when the Lopers, down 14-6, took the second half kickoff and marched right down the field. On 3^rd and 2 from the Eagle eight, a fumble on the QB-center exchange was picked by Chadron’s Alex Tone and he raced 52 yards into UNK territory. On the next play, Forster ran 38 yards for his second score of the day.

            UNK came back on the strength of senior QB Pat Korth who threw scoring passes of 60 yards, to Richie Ross, and 39 yards, to Garth Mins, to cut the Eagle lead to 21-19. Chadron responded with their only long drive of the second half, a six-play 66-yard drive that ended when Forster scored from 10 yards out.

            Mins returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yards to the Chadron 41 but UNK had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Jessup Pfeiffer. UNK held Chadron on the next series but had no timeouts left when they took over on their own 12 yard line with just under a minute to go. UNK moved they ball to their own 43-yard line but a desperation pass was intercepted on the Eagles 20-yard line on the final play of the game.

            In the first half, CSC took the opening kickoff and went 65 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead. UNK got back into the game late in the first when Sean Haines blocked a punt and recovered it on the Eagle 12-yard line. UNK had to settle for a field goal but forced another bad punt in the Eagles next possession. Getting the ball at CSC’s 30-yard line, UNK didn’t move once again and then missed a field goal. 

            The Lopers also had to settle for a field goal after driving 82 yards in 10 plays midway through the second quarter. A Forster three-yard TD run ended the half’s scoring.

            Korth had 339 yards after the break and finished 22 of 37 for a career-high 430 yards. It is the third highest passing total school history and allowed Korth to join Justin Coleman as the only Loper QB’s with 400 yard passing days.

            Mins had 10 receptions for 186 yards with Ross making five catches for 148 yards. Junior Mike Miller (27 carries, 117 yards) went over the century mark once again. Defensively, linebacker Jered Butts had 10 tackles with defensive tackle Danny Ostransky making seven stops.

            Besides Forster, Michael Wahlstrom had seven catches for 100 yards and one score to pace the Eagles.

            UNK hosts Fort Lewis next Saturday at Foster Field.