Nearly everything about the Fort Lewis College football team’s home opener Saturday was ugly.
The game started with an interception nearly returned for a touchdown, continued with numerous special teams gaffes and concluded with a puzzling series of downs with the Skyhawks desperately needing to get into field-goal range for an attempt to send the game into overtime. In the end, all the mistakes added up to a 39-36 road win for Black Hills State (2-0, 2-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) at Ray Dennison Memorial Field in Durango.
Two missed extra points, a blocked field goal attempt and a safety when a long snap went over the head of Fort Lewis punter Joseph Cavale were ultimately the difference in a game the Skyhawks (0-2, 0-2 RMAC) dominated early despite a game-opening interception that led to a Yellow Jackets score.
Fort Lewis led by as much as 20-7 in the second quarter before going into halftime down 21-20. The Skyhawks came back from two scores down in the fourth quarter thanks to an interception return for a touchdown by defensive back Tyrell Thomas, but a tired defense couldn’t keep the Yellow Jackets out of the end zone on their final go-ahead drive.
“We got it going at times and struggled at time as well,” FLC quarterback Larry Cutbirth III said. “Tough loss, but that’s part of the game.”
Cutbirth’s day was reflective of just that. At halftime, he was 3-of-9 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He finished the day 9-of-22 passing for 132 yards with the two scores and interceptions.
On FLC’s first offensive play, the transfer from Southeastern in Louisiana threw an interception right into the hands of Drew Hebel, who returned it down to the 1-yard line. One play later, Yellow Jackets star running back Phydell Paris scored the first of his three touchdown runs from inside the two-yard line.
The running of Cutbirth, Drake Griffin and PJ Hall got Fort Lewis on the board soon after, and a 17-yard touchdown run by Hall put FLC on the board. But a missed PAT by Cavale kept the Skyhawks trailing 7-6.
The next drive, Cutbirth ended an 84-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end AJ Shaw.
A muffed punt recovery by Mason Hatton set FLC up with a short field on the next possession. Durango High School alum Jordan Gillen ended the short drive when he hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Cutbirth to give FLC a 20-7 lead.
Gillen was open all day and made big plays but often had passes thrown behind him or above his head. He finished with six receptions for 89 yards.
“He’s my main target, and he’s always open,” Cutbirth said. “We rely on Gillen big time.”
FLC’s offense didn’t get much else going the rest of the game besides the rushing attack of Griffin, who totaled 113 yards and 17 carries. Hall touched the ball 15 times for 63 yards.
A Skyhawks defense that played strong against the run was burned over the middle of the field for big passes. Black Hills State quarterback Ryan Hommel went 23-of-44 passing for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw the pick-6 to Thomas, which was returned 30 yards for a Fort Lewis go-ahead score with 5 minutes, 30 seconds to play.
Hommel rebounded from the interception and led a 14-play, 77-yard drive that included two big fourth-down conversions on the way to Paris’ final rushing score of the game. Paris finished with 72 yards rushing.
“it shows a lot of resilence by our guys,” Black Hills State head coach John Reiners said. “We didn’t let getting behind bother us. Our quarterback can’t make that mistake, and he knows that. But, hey, way to respond and take us down to win a football game.”
The Yellow Jackets had some help, too. Cavale had a nightmare of a day despite one 17 yard run on a long snap that nearly went over his head. The next high snap wasn’t as fortunate, as it rolled out of the back of the end zone for a safety that gave the Yellow Jackets a 23-20 lead in the third quarter.
Cavale went 3-of-5 on extra points and a big 41-yard field goal try was blocked. He bounced back to make a 26 yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
After finishing 7-4 last season in John L. Smith’s final year as head coach, FLC is now 0-2 in the first two games under head coach Ed Rifilato, who did not provide comment after the game.
FLC is now in desperate need of a win or else will fall deeper in the RMAC hole. The Skyhawks will travel Saturday to Alamosa to face Adams State (0-2. 0-2 RMAC) in the annual “Musket Game” rivalry.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
