Tabor succumbs to Ottawa, 17-15

Marshall McShan breaks free for an 18-yard run on Tabor?s first drive against Ottawa Saturday. The drive ended in a 29-yard Jared Slavens field goal for a 3-0 Bluejay lead.After holding the advantage through three quarters of play, the No. 18 Tabor College football team saw a 15-8 lead turn into a 17-15 deficit to No. 14 Ottawa when the final whistle blew Saturday.

Tabor clung to a narrow, 9-8 lead at intermission, but scored three plays into the second half on a 50-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jessie Robbins. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but the Bluejays had extended their lead to 15-8. D?Marco Smith gains 2 yards during Tabor?s first drive, which ended in a field goal for a 3-0 Bluejay lead. Smith led the Bluejay rushing attack with 19 carries for 91 yards and one touchdown.

With temperatures hovering just a few degrees above freezing, the Tabor offense turned cool as the wintry weather, not able to establish much of anything after that.

The Bluejay defense kept the Braves out of the end zone, though, and after two Ottawa punts, Jason Daughtry ended the Braves? third drive of the third quarter with an interception. The third period ended with Tabor leading by the same, 15-8, score.

The teams traded punts to start the fourth quarter, then Ottawa?s Dominic Sigala hit the first of three field goals. The 28-yard attempt sailed through the uprights, bringing the Braves within 15-11 with 8:20 left in the game.

Tabor went three-and-out and elected to attempt a fake punt, which did not gain enough yardage for a first down. Ottawa took over at the Tabor 28-yard line.

The Bluejay defense gave up only four yards in three plays, but Sigala sent a 41-yard field goal try through the uprights on fourth down to close the gap to 15-14 with 4:57 to play.

With another Bluejay three-and-out, Ottawa got the ball back at the 3:14 mark. Aided by a Tabor personal foul penalty, the Braves covered 48 yards in eight plays and took a 17-15 lead on Sigala?s 42-yard field goal with just 1:05 left in the game.

With one final opportunity, Tabor lost four yards in four plays and turned the ball over, allowing Ottawa to run out the final seconds.

To start the game, Tabor took a 3-0 lead on its first possession thanks to a 29-yard field goal by Jared Slavens. That score held to the end of the first quarter, but it ended with Tabor on the move in Brave territory after a 20-yard Ottawa punt.

D?Marco Smith punched in a 14-yard score on the first play of the second quarter. Slavens? kick missed its mark, giving Tabor a 9-0 lead.Cody Coleman breaks a tackle and rushes 22 yards at the end of the first quarter, setting up a Bluejay touchdown on the next play that gave Tabor a 9-0 lead.

Ottawa got on the board with a safety with 4:27 left in the half after a snap sailed high over punter Trey Geiger?s head.

The Braves scored their only touchdown on their next drive, covering 47 yards in 10 plays and scoring on a 3-yard run by Tanner Staats. Daughtry blocked the extra-point kick to maintain the lead for Tabor at halftime, 9-8.

Tabor gained all but two of its 193 yards of total offense on the ground, led by D?Marco Smith with 19 carries for 91 yards and one touchdown. The Braves had 247 yards of total offense. Ben Gardner led Tabor?s defense with 17 tackles.

With the loss, Tabor dropped to 5-4 in the KCAC, 7-4 overall.Wayde Snell and Ben Gardner tackle Ottawa?s Luke Lundy after a 3-yard gain during the third quarter.

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