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Drake Escapes With 41-39 Win Over Butler
Oct. 27, 2001 INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - DeWayne Ewing's five-yard touchdown pass to Adam Lafferty with no time remaining in the game brought Butler within 41-39, but the Bulldogs were unable to convert the two-point conversion, falling to Drake on Saturday (Oct. 27) at the Butler Bowl. The loss drops Butler to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the Pioneer Football League, while Drake captured its 500th all-time win, improving to 4-4 and 1-3 in PFL play. The visitors grabbed an early lead, as Ira Vandever's 39-yard pass to Jeff Seaman set up a 13-yard Vandever rushing touchdown at the 10:44 mark in the first quarter. Butler would respond quickly, as Roman Speron rushed for a 38-yard touchdown, tying the game up 7-7. Speron finished the game with 95 yards rushing. Drake's Billy Cundiff and Butler's Mario Brocchi would each connect on first-quarter field goals, before the visitors would go on to outscore Butler 17-7 in the second quarter, giving them a 27-17 halftime lead. Ewing's 1-yard touchdown run and Ben Jones' 48-yard field goal would tie the game at 27-27 midway through the third quarter, but Vandever would put Drake back on top with a 8-yard touchdown run. With his team trailing 34-27 entering the final stanza, Ewing would find Brandon Willett in the end zone bringing the Bulldogs to within 34-33. But Brocchi's extra-point attempt failed, keeping Drake ahead. Drake would build upon its narrow lead a few plays later, as Vandever's pass to Aaron Overton gave them a 41-33 advantage with 7:24 remaining. Butler began to mount its comeback late in the quarter, when Ewing connected with Lafferty as time ran out on the clock, but the team was unable to force overtime as the two-point conversion failed. Despite accumulating 531 total yards and holding a 13:00 minute advantage in time of possession, Butler was unable to pull off the late-game win. Butler's signal caller completed 23 of 40 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted twice. Freshman Justin Campbell had a career-day with a game-high 119 yards rushing on 17 carries. Lafferty topped the squad with seven receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Lou Capizzi led the team with 10 tackles, including a sack.
The Bulldogs will host Quincy on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Butler Bowl. Gametime is slated for 1 p.m.
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