August 30, 2008

Wayne State Ends 12 Year Losing Streak to UNK

Carnahan Has Third Straight Game with 50 Yard Field Goal

     Kearney, Neb. –  The Wayne State football team shook off a rough start, and got 100 yard rushing days from quarterback Silas Fluellen and running back Travis Rhone, to beat Nebraska-Kearney, 28-12, Saturday at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

     The season opener for both, the Wildcats beat the Lopers for the first time since 1996, span of 10 games. Also, Wayne wins in Kearney for only the second time since 1971. UNK (58-17-6) still has a sizeable lead in the all-time series.

      Before the game started, UNK announced that senior wide receiver Eric Myrick (Jacksonville, Fla.) is ineligible for academic reasons, thus ending his Kearney career.

    “This is a tough break for our football program and for Eric. He unfortunately got caught up in a situation regarding NCAA Progress Toward Degree requirements. I can’t say enough about what he has done for this team and this school. He is close to graduation and we will work with him to obtain his goal of earning a degree,” said UNK head coach Darrell Morris.

      Due to this situation, Myrick (Jacksonville, Fla.) hadn’t practice with the team for several weeks. A 2008 All-RMAC preseason pick, and one of only two seniors on the Loper offense, Myrick ends a two-year UNK career with 98 catches for 1,132 yards and 12 TD’s. He led the team in receptions each of the past two seasons.

     Minus Myrick, the Loper offense got a big break early today when, on the game’s first offensive play, Wayne center Jake Runyon snapped the ball over Fluellen’s head and senior end Nate Reicks (McCook) recovered the loose ball at the 24-yard line.

     Under the direction of redshirt freshman quarterback Bobby Adamson (Byers, Colo.), UNK earned one first down before senior kicker Geoff Carnahan (Kearney Catholic) booted a 24-yard field goal.

     The Wildcats next offensive possession featured two false start penalties and then punter Jacob Bell had a 33-yard boot to his own 43-yard line.  UNK couldn’t take advantage of the good field possession – going just seven yards in three plays -- but Carnahan saved the Lopers by making a 53-yard field goal.

      In the final two games of the 2007 season, Carnahan had field goals of 52 and 55 yards. He is the only kicker in school history to have made more then one 50 yard field goal.

      Sophomore safety Pat Ackerman (Holdrege) would stop Wayne’s third drive with an interception at the Loper 17-yard line. UNK would march right down the field but a fumble at that Wildcat 18-yard line ended the potential scoring drive.

      Wayne would move ahead for good midway through the second quarter on a very strange play.  Running back Eric Meyer took the handoff and went two yards before coughing up the football. Fortunately for Wayne, Fluellen was following the play and he scooped up the ball and raced 50 yards right down the field for an unlikely score.

      In the second half, Wayne stopped UNK’s first possession and took over at its own 41-yard line. On a 3^rd and four play, Fluellen ran an option play to the right, got around the end and raced all the way for the score.

      The Wildcats finished the game with 302 yards rushing on 47 attempts. Thirty two of those carries came in the second half, resulting in 197 yards. Rhone (20 carries, 101 yards) would complete the scoring for Wayne with a 13-yard scamper late in the third and then tacked on a 15-yard run midway through the fourth.

       Fluellen finished the day with 130 yards rushing on six carries while going 15 of 23 for 165 yards through the air. Seven of his passes were caught by Logan Masters (99 yards).

       UNK had two chances to score in the third quarter but the Lopers fumbled the ball at the Wayne 36-yard line and then Ryan Reeves picked off Adamson (12 of 24 for 110 yards) at the Wildcat-six yard line.

       A 72-yard kick return by senior Jake Mandelko (Lexington) had setup UNK with great field position before Reeves stopped the drive with that pick.

      In the fourth, Adamson finished a seven pay, 41 yard drive by calling his own number and scoring from three yards out.

      UNK ended the day with 80 yards rushing on 34 carries. Besides Adamson, fellow redshirt freshman QB Jake Spitzlberger (Lakewood, Colo.) played and went 1 of 3 for 22 yards.  Also, sophomore running back Brendan Liess (McCook) led the team in rushing yards (46) and receptions (five).

     Defensively, senior corer Dusty Loeffelholz (Amherst) had 11 tackles with senior linebacker Charlie Rudeen (Overton) having 10 stops. Also, junior linebacker Eric Scheele (Utica) had eight tackles, including two for loss.

      UNK is at nationally-ranked Nebraska-Omaha next Saturday. That game will be carried live by NET at 6:00 p.m. Pictured below is Carnahan-Adamson-Liess.