JAMESTOWN – It could have been a very happy homecoming for University of Jamestown Football, but it just barely was not so.
A potential tying touchdown pass on the game’s last play was ruled to be just out of the end zone Saturday and the Jimmies fell 26-20 to Mayville State in the home opener at Rollie Greeno Field and Charlotte and Gordon Hansen Stadium.
Nick Martinez threw to Isaiah Roebuck at the left side of the end zone as time expired. Roebuck made the catch, but was ruled to be on the side line when he did.
Darren Jones caught two touchdown passes for Mayville State (2-2, 1-1 NSAA), including a 25-yarder from Dylan LaMont that gave the Comets the lead for good at 20-14 on the last play of the first half and brought the visitors back from a 14-0 deficit.
Jack Simmers threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jones with 6:51 remaining to make the Comets’ lead 26-14.
Jamestown (0-4, 0-2) then drove 56 yards, ending with Martinez’ second touchdown pass of the game, a 17-yard play to Erastus Antsino with 4:23 left. The conversion then failed as an Aanon Peterson extra point attempt was blocked for the third time this season.
With 1:55 left, Simmers appeared to run for a first down that would have clinched the game for Mayville State. But the Jimmies’ Parker Chafee forced a fumble that was recovered by Jed Rantz.
Seven completions by Martinez, five of which went to Colton Schumacher, propelled the Jimmies from their 14 to the MSU 22 before the fateful final play.
Jamestown scored first on their second possession. Martinez ran for a first down, then John Grann passed to Dawson Schmidt for another. Two pass interference penalties on the Comets’ Denzele Navy set up a 21-yard rushing touchdown by Carlos Julian with 2:54 left in the first quarter.
The Jimmies drove 65 yards for their second score just over the halfway mark of the second quarter, completed by a skillful Ethan Hoffman touchdown catch. UJ led 14-0.
Mayville State immediately answered when Xyler Carlson ran back the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for the Comets’ first points.
Gavin Blomdahl was then stopped on a fourth-down rush for Jamestown, setting Mayville State’s tying drive, which ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Simmers.
Jamestown took over with 29 seconds left in the first half, but instead of kneeling and preserving a tie game at halftime, the Jimmies decided to run their offense. Martinez was intercepted by Navy, whose 28-yard return to the UJ 40, plus a Jamestown personal foul penalty, set up the Comets’ go-ahead score.
The Jimmies lost despite compiling 444 yards of offense. Jamestown, which had rushed for a total of 135 yards in the first three games, ran for 197 yards in this game. Julian ran for 81 and Martinez carried for 49.
Martinez was 24-of-37 passing for 233 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
For Mayville State, Simmers rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown. LaMont was 8-of-10 passing with 147 yards and a touchdown.
The win was Mayville State’s third straight over Jamestown, but the previous two, in 2016 and 2017, had been by forfeits after UJ was ruled to have used an ineligible player in those seasons. Before Saturday, Mayville State had not won on the field over Jamestown since 2000.
Jamestown will play Saturday at 22nd-ranked Dickinson State. Coverage will begin Saturday at 2:30 PM on The Voice of the Jimmies, Jamestown 107.1.
| Mayville St | 0 | 20 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
| UJ | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
FIRST QUARTER
UJ – Carlos Julian 21-yard TD run 2:54 (Aanon Peterson XP) – 7-0 UJ – 9 plays, 86 yards, 4:26
SECOND QUARTER
UJ – Nick Martinez 14-yard TD pass to Ethan Hoffman 7:18 (Peterson XP) – 14-0 UJ – 9 plays, 79 yards, 3:44
Mayville St – Xyler Carlson 92-yard TD kickoff return 7:03 (Kaden Johnson XP) – 14-7 UJ
Mayville St – Jack Simmers 2-yard TD run 0:32 (Johnson XP) – 14-14 – 9 plays, 41 yards, 6:31
Mayville St – Dylan LaMont 25-yard TD pass to Darren Jones 0:00 (XP failed) – 20-14 Mayville St – 1 play, 25 yards, 0:06
FOURTH QUARTER
Mayville St – Simmers 15-yard TD pass to Jones 6:51 (2-point conversion failed) – 26-14 Mayville St – 9 plays, 48 yards, 5:34
UJ – Martinez 17-yard TD pass to Erastus Antsino 4:23 (XP blocked) – 26-20 Mayville St – 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:21
Individual Statistics
RUSHING
Mayville St – Simmers 21-79-1 TD, Isaiah Smith 2-17, Edward Norton 3-17, Mason Ollman 7-10, LaMont 1-5, Daniel Nevil 4-3
UJ – Julian 10-81-1 TD, Martinez 8-49, Ishmael Hall 3-42, Colton Schneider 6-21, Hoffman 1-10, Gavin Blomdahl 1-(-2), Matt McBride 2-(-4)
PASSING
Mayville St – LaMont 8-10-147-1 TD, Simmers 1-1-15-1 TD, Norton 0-1
UJ – Martinez 24-37-233-2 TD-2 INT, John Grann 1-2-14
RECEIVING
Mayville St – Smith 3-83, Jones 2-40-2 TD, Maalik Flowers 1-22, Ollman 3-17
UJ – Colton Schumacher 6-61, Gage Solano 3-41, Antsino 3-39-1 TD, Dawson Schmidt 3-32, Cody Pellaton 2-28, Caleb Powell 2-28, Hoffman 3-22-1 TD, Austin Stallan 1-5, Julian 2-(-9)
| Mayville St | UJ | |
| First Downs | 14 | 25 |
| Rushing | 38/131 | 31/197 |
| Passing | 162 | 247 |
| Total Yds | 293 | 444 |
| Att/Comp/Int | 9/12/0 | 25/39/2 |
| Punts/avg | 3/38.0 | 0/0 |
| Fumbles/lost | 2/1 | 1/1 |
| Penalties/Yds | 5/42 | 6/62 |
| Time of possession | 33:55 | 26:05 |
photo credit: University of Jamestown Athletics