TABOR COLLEGE: Bluejays prevail in defensive shootout
Late touchdown leads Tabor by Ottawa, 7-4
With miserable field conditions making it nearly impossible to generate any offense, the Bluejays turned to its top-ranked defensive Saturday in the muck of the Ottawa Braves' field.
As wacky a year as it's turned out to be in the KCAC, it wouldn't be fitting without having an offbeat score.
Such was the case as the Bluejays wiped out several scoring drives by the Braves to outlast them, 7-4.
The win snaps a three-game Tabor slide, lifting its record to 5-3 on the year and 4-3 in the KCAC.
Boasting one of the NAIA's top defenses, Tabor limited the Braves to 236 yards of total offense without surrendering a touchdown.
Tabor was able to establish less, mustering 213 yards offense with 110 coming on the ground.
Ottawa pulled in front with just over 5:35 left in the first half and held the lead all the way up until a late game possession by Tabor.
Sometimes it's better to give up two than risk six, and that was how the Bluejays spotted the Braves the 2-0 lead at halftime, snapping the ball out of the end zone.
The Braves extended their lead to 4-0 with just over 8:00 left in the game.
Pinned back deep in the Bluejays' own territory, Olando Harris was stopped in the end zone.
Harris still turned in a team-high 22 carries for 47 yards.
With opportunities slipping away, Cameron Conant converted a fourth-and-four for Tabor with a 10-yard gain to help set up the winning score.
Conant finished the game with 11 carries for 34 yards.
Facing a third-and-one, quarterback David Hernandez sneaked into the end zone with 1:00 remaining in the game to put the Bluejays in front.
Keenan Morris converted the PAT, for the 7-4 final.
The Bluejays return home Saturday to face the hot Southwestern Moundbuilders.
Game time at Reimer Field is scheduled for 1:30 p.m..
