Illinois College 34, Grinnell 31

Oct 07, 2000

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Illinois College Grinnell

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Illinois College’s A.J. Vassar intercepted a Grinnell pass at his own 17-yard line in the final minute of the game Saturday as the Blueboys held off the Pioneers 34-31 in a Midwest Conference game.

The interception prevented what would have been a potential game-tying field goal attempt. The Blueboys’ Patrick Bowman rushed for a game-high 144 yards on 25 carries and scored three touchdowns as Illinois College improved to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in league play. The loss dropped Grinnell to 3-2 and 3-1.

The Blueboys, who hadn’t won four games in a season since 1994, also got 154 passing yards from quarterback Derek Leonard.

Bowman’s first touchdown covered one yard and staked his club to an early 6-0 lead. But Grinnell responded with a 3-yard touchdown run by Adam Wallace followed by a 31-yard scoring scamper by quarterback Shawn Sigler. The Pioneers’ 14-6 lead was short-lived, however, as Illinois College’s Kenny Rogers capped a 10-play, 76-yard drive with a 1-yard TD plunge early in the second quarter that tied the contest at 14.

Bowman put the hosts back in front at 21-14 with a 24-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter before Sigler scored from 3 yards out with 31 seconds left in the half. After a missed PAT kick, IC took a 21-20 lead into the locker room.

Grinnell opened the third quarter with a 13-play drive capped by a 9-yard scoring pass from Sigler to Wallace. And after recovering an Illinois College fumble on the subsequent kickoff, the visitors extended their lead to 10 at 31-21 when John Godish kicked a 20-yard field goal.

Leonard narrowed the gap to 31-27 at 4:11 of the third quarter when he scored on a 13-yard run. Then Bowman scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown at the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter when he scored from 1 yard out.

Sigler finished with 115 yards on 16 carries and completed 18 of 35 passes for 174 yards. Wallace, the leading rusher in the Midwest Conference, added 106 yards on 30 carries. Rogers finished with 55 yards on 10 carries for the Blueboys.

Grinnell had two final cracks at the end zone in the waning minutes of the game. But the Pioneers lost the ball on downs at midfield with five minutes left and then turned the ball over on Vassar’s interception in the final minute.