Defensive Scores Dominate Game as Football Drops Season Finale at Presbyterian

BOX SCORE

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State football scored on a blocked punt return and a interception return, but Presbyterian added a crucial 97-yard fumble return for a score as the Eagles ultimately fell 31-27 to the Blue Hose in both team's season finales Saturday at Bailey Memorial Stadium.

The Eagles end their campaign at 4-7 and 3-5 in the Pioneer League, while PC ends at 4-7 and 2-6 in the league.

After spotting PC a 3-0 lead, defensive back Jihad McCall busted through to block a punts, his fifth career rejection and first this year. Cooper Krezek scooped up the ball and went 44 yards for a go-ahead score at 12:53 of the second quarter. 

MSU tacked on a five-yard TD pass from QB Bryce Patterson to Bradley West, West's first career TD catch, to lead 13-3 at halftime. 

PC crept to within 13-10 with 10 minutes left in the third period, but defensive back Matthew McClelland recorded a pick six as he raced 35 yards after his first interception of the season.

The back-and-forth affair shifted back to the home team as they scored twice to take a 24-20 lead early in the fourth quarter. A key play came with just more than a minute left in the third. As the Eagles appeared to be going in a for a score, a fumble on a run was scooped by PC's Brooks Russ-Martin who scrambled 97 yards the other way for a TD.

But, with nine minutes remaining, Patterson connected with wideout Kyle Daly on a 36-yard score to push the Eagles back ahead 27-24. PC scored with 6:13 left to go back ahead 31-27. MSU had its chances in the waning moments but a pair of interceptions thrown by Patterson ended the Eagles' comeback efforts.

Daly posted his third 100-yard game with a career-high 139 yards on seven catches and the score. Patterson was 14-of-30 for 207 yards but was picked off three times.

Defensively Keenan Wolf topped MSU with 11 total stops, while Jahleel Holmes ended with 10. Holmes had six double-digit tackle games this fall and and ended his season with 112 total tackles. Krezek also added an interception as MSU finished the season with 17 pickoffs. In addition to the other defensive standouts, the Eagles also blocked a field goal.