Last second touchdown spoils season opener for Gallaudet

KINGS POINT, N.Y. – The Gallaudet University football team suffered a heartbreaking lose to the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Saturday afternoon as the Mariners scored a touchdown with one second left on the clock to steal the victory away from the Bison 35-34 before 1,012 at Tomb Field.

Bison senior quarterback Jimmy Gardner (St. Augustine, Fla.) scored his second touchdown in the fourth quarter when he ran in from two yards out to give GU a 32-28 lead with 1:10 left in regulation.

Gallaudet (0-1) converted the two-point conversion to increase the lead to six.

USMMA (1-0) then drove 59 yards on 10 plays in just over a minute to win the game. Mariner quarterback Chaise Dunn sailed a high pass to the left corner of the end zone as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Mariner receiver Derrick Ventre came down with the ball to tie the game at 34. Kicker Richard Grennen made his fifth extra-point of the game to seal the win.

Gardner finished the day 4-for-9 for 86 yards and one touchdown through the air and ran the ball 15 times for 40 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Sophomore running back Phillip Hayes (Baton Rouge, La.) led the Bison with 103 rushing yards on 11 carries and scored one touchdown.

GU outscored USMMA 14-0 in the second quarter and took a 14-7 lead into halftime. The Bison increased their lead to 20-7 before the Mariners scored 21 unanswered points in a 12-minute span to take a 28-20 lead with 13 minutes left in the game.

The Bison will next face the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades in Media, Pa., on September 11.