2008 Woodie Awards
Last-minute heroics
Offensive showcase ends with last-second field goal
Jeffrey R. Larnard
Issue date: 9/8/08 Section: Sports
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"I actually called Dr. [Pierre] Rouzier [over] with four minutes left in the game and we were still up seven, and I told him I'm going to win this game with a field goal," Cuko said.
UMass (2-0) led 42-35 when Cuko called Rouzier over, but with 2:22 remaining HC's quarterback, Dominic Randolph, finished an 11-play, 77-yard drive, when he found a wide open Freddie Santana in the end zone for his second touchdown catch to tie the game.
The two minutes and change remaining were not a challenge for the Minutemen, who had scored in less time on four of their six touchdown drives; 1:58, 0:47, 2:18 and 2:09.
After HC's (0-1) kickoff went out of bounds (it kicked three other kickoffs out of bounds), UMass started on its own 40-yard line. After a 3-yard run, two completions and a costly illegal formation penalty, the Minutemen faced a fourth-and-one.
Liam Coen took the snap, trying to extend the drive, and bootlegged to his right before pitching it to tailback Tony Nelson who was running along side him.
"It's an option play and Liam has the option. It's only one yard, either keep it or pitch it, and he made absolutely the right decision," UMass coach Don Brown said. "We had it blocked at the perimeter and Tony didn't fool around, he just went north and south, made sure he got the one yard and I think he got five or six."
Four plays later, the Minutemen faced another fourth down and converted on a 16-yard pass from Coen to wide receiver Jeremy Horne that set up Cuko's late-game heroics with five seconds left.
After three Crusader timeouts, Cuko did just what he told Dr. Rouzier he would do.
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