ALAMOSA, Colo. (October, 25, 2014) – It'll be a day
Ryan Holland remembers for quite some time.
The junior defensive back not only provided the winning fourth quarter touchdown but also secured the conference win for the boys in green and black against the New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys. With Highlands driving towards midfield, Holland intercepted NMHU's Lance Orender and returned the ball 57-yards for a Grizzly touchdown with 2:20 remaining in regulation. He went on to top his performance with another interception during the final minute of play as ASU claimed a 41-34 victory over the Cowboys.
ASU moves to 3-5 overall and 2-4 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play with the win.
After trailing 14-0 in the first quarter after a Jared Koster interception return, the Grizzlies rallied back with 17 points in the second quarter. Scoring production came about with a 31-yard
Keating Krauser field goal, a
Jabari Ray Garvin one yard run, and a 30-yard pass from
Auston Hillman to
Phil Romero. Meanwhile the Grizzlies defense clamped down on the opposition as the Cowboys managed only a field goal for the quarter which led both teams to a 17-17 tie at the half.
The second half became a seesaw battle between the two foes as both offensive units hit their stride. Offensive highlights for the Grizzlies included a 5-yard touchdown run by
Justin Kauffman—his first of the season. Later on, in the fourth, quarterback
Lamar McKnight scrambled to his right and found a wide open
Michael Carl for a 79-yard touchdown pass. Both aforementioned scoring plays helped to keep ASU with the lead.
However, the Cowboys fought back in the fourth with an Orender to Kirt Terry-Springs 66-yard touchdown strike and a Zach Tapia 43-yard field goal. Tapia's kick resulted in a 34-31 Highlands lead with 7:22 remaining.
Adams State responded with a 12 play, 59-yard drive capped off by a 30-yard Krauser field goal to tie the game at 34-34.
On the ensuing drive, with Highlands looking to reclaim the lead, Holland came through with his first interception which he promptly returned to the house for the winning touchdown.
The Grizzlies racked up a season-high 506 yards of total offense and 41 points as Garvin ran for 87 yards and one touchdown; serving as a consistent figure in the ASU offense. After a Hillman injury midway through the game, McKnight stepped in as the signal-caller. In his first game action in three weeks, McKnight was 5-of-11 for 123 yards and a touchdown. Hillman finished 11-of-20 for 180 yards and one touchdown along with 58 yards on the ground before exiting the game. The duo combined to find 11 receivers led by two receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown by Carl. With plenty of receiving options utilized, there wasn't a single ASU player that hauled in more than two receptions.
Krauser was 2-of-3 for field goals and has now gone 5-of-6 over the past two weeks. Defensively, Conner Stevens had a team-best 12 tackles while
Cariel Brooks tallied eight and a pass breakup. Holland also tallied eight tackles along with his two interceptions.
The Grizzlies now take their two game winning streak to Silver City, N.M. on Nov.1 as they square off against the Western New Mexico University Mustangs. Kickoff is slated for 12:00 p.m.
