Cardinals Drop Close One to Green Terror

Bowman scores two touchdowns for the afternoon

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 16, 2006) - The Catholic University football team (2-1) came so close to another last second victory on Saturday afternoon against the McDaniel College Green Terror (1-2) at DuFour Field.  But this weekend ended differently as the team was unable to put points on the board in the closing minute falling 14-13. 

CUA scored with five minutes left in the first quarter on a long pass route to Ryan Bowman (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel).  Quarterback Keith Ricca (Poolesville, Md./St. John's Prospect Hall) found Bowman streaking down the center of the pitch and connected for 86 yards into the end zone.  Sam Weaver's (Frederick, Md./St. John's Prospect Hall) point after was good making the score 7-0.

A poor Cardinal series late in the third quarter changed the momentum of the entire game.  Nick Olivero (Fairfax, Va./W.T. Wilson) broke free for the end zone on first and ten from the fifty-yard line.  With yellow flags flying, the play came back to the fifty for a CUA hold.  To make matters worse, a late personal foul moved the ball all the way back to the Cardinal 25 for first and thirty five.   

Penalties plagued the Cardinals as they tried to dig themselves out of a third and 41 situation, but the team was forced to punt giving McDaniel the ball on the CUA 37.  The Green Terror capitalized on the CUA miscues and used eight plays to tie it up at 13:10 in the fourth.

Catholic University was able to pound past the goal line one more time at 6:19 in the fourth on a Ricca to Bowman five-yard connection.  However, Weaver's PAT was no good making the score 13-7.

Getting possession at 6:07, the Green Terror marched right down the field and scored on an 11-play 71-yard series to go ahead 14-13.

Just like last week's game against Ohio Wesleyan, CUA had to go the length of the field in a little over a minute.  Working the two-minute drill to perfection, the Cardinals passed the ball into field goal range and sent the kicking team out for the final play of the game.  Weaver's kick, however, was low and short giving the Green Terror their first victory of the year.

The Cardinals had 341 total yards to McDaniel's 202 and controlled the clock possessing the ball for over thirty- two minutes.  Ricca had 268 passing yards and without leading-rusher Rueben Simmons (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) the Cardinals depended on Olivero for fifty yards on 13 runs.  Bowman only had two catches on the afternoon, but really made them count with 91 total yards and scoring on both.

CUA will travel to Randolph-Macon next weekend to take on the Yellowjackets in Ashland, Va.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.