After giving Fayetteville back the ball with three minutes left in the game and up by only three points, Bryant’s season looked to be in jeopardy Friday night at Hornet Stadium.
With the ball and driving, the Bulldogs took the rock to Bryant’s 6-yard line with about 25 seconds remaining. After crucial stops to stall the drive with a fourth-and-3 snap, Bryant’s defense needed a missed field goal or plan to play in overtime.
After a good snap and the kick on the way, the outstretched hand of senior linebacker Jakob Neel would deflect the ball wide right as Bryant held on the for the historic victory, 28-25.
“You can’t say enough about Jakob Neel,” said Head Coach Buck James. “To come back off of (knee) surgery after four months is a big to-do for the surgeon and a big to-do for Neel. Not many people can play middle linebacker after surgery like that. Just shows you what kind of heart he has and what kind of character he has. He is a winner.”
See full story in Saturday's issue of The Saline Courier