The University of Jamestown football team would be defeated by Briar Cliff University Chargers 39-30 at Charlotte & Gordon Hansen Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Jamestown would score first in this one as John Grann on a quarterback option play would keep it for a 15 yd touchdown run with 7:57 left in the 1st quarter. Aanon Peterson’s kick was good, and Jamestown would go up 7-0 on the 7 plays, an 80-yard drive that ate up only 3:06 off the clock.
Early in the 2nd quarter running back Matthew Mason would rush for an 8-yard touchdown run with 11:18 left in the first half. Tight end Steve Whiting would catch the 2pt conversion attempt and that would make it 8-7 with Briar Cliff getting the lead for the first time in the contest. The only other score in the 2nd quarter would come on a 25-yard field goal made by Jacob Myers with 1:11 left in the first half.
To open the 2nd half Jamestown would get on the board early on a 5-play, 39-yard touchdown drive that took up only 1:32 off the clock. Receiver Isaiah Roebuck would catch a 6-yard touchdown pass from John Grann to make the score 14-11 Jamestown would lead early in the 2nd half. UJ would shoot themselves in the foot though on a fumble from Grann later in the quarter. Grann was looking to pass but was hit by the rush of Briar Cliff as he was loading up, but the ball popped out backward indicating it was a fumble and not a forward pass. Defensive lineman Carlos Lopez would recover the fumble in the endzone for the touchdown giving Briar Cliff an 18-14 lead with 8:38 left in the 3rd quarter. Jamestown to end the 3rd quarter would score on a 7-play, 51-yard drive capped off by a 16-yard quarterback option touchdown run from Grann. The Jimmies would lead 21-18 with 0:04 left in the 3rd quarter.
In the 4th quarter, receiver Aaron Okoro for Briar Cliff would go off for 3 touchdowns while Jamestown would only be able to score once late on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Roebuck to Grann. Okoro would catch 24,13 and 24-yard touchdown passes and would the Chargers with 6 catches for 94 yards and 3 touchdowns. Peterson would make a 32-yard field goal with 4:55 left in the 4th quarter to make it 32-24 but then after came the 41-yard touchdown catch from Okoro to make it 39-24. Roebuck’s touchdown would come after with 2:51 left in the game to make it 30-39 with Peterson having his extra point blocked. Briar Cliff would run out the clock ending the game.
Jamestown will move to 2-8 overall and 2-7 in conference play. Next week the Jimmies will be in action for their last game of the year at Northwestern in Orange City, Iowa. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m.