Otis Brown beats the clock, leads Fort Valley State to victory
The Fort Valley State Wildcats gave up a 20-point halftime lead in the second half but came back strong in the fourth quarter to knock off Central State 30-28.
Otis Brown, who started his first game at quarterback this season, led a seven-minute drive that he capped with a 2-yard run with only two seconds left.
Fort Valley State improves to 2-6, 2-3 in the SIAC.
Three who mattered
Brown: The senior has had a strong season as a receiver, with 23 catches and seven touchdowns, but stepped into the quarterback position when starter Demontay Jones injured his knee Oct. 15 at Florida Tech. Brown recorded two rushing touchdowns and added a passing touchdown, keying a late comeback that gave Fort Valley State the win. Brown threw for 128 yards and ran for 52, with 43 of the rushing yards coming in the fourth quarter.
Brian Walker: The senior defensive back had 14 tackles and added two interceptions.
De’Michael Jackson: The running back was a workhorse for Central State, as he ran for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Observations
About that late touchdown: Central State had all the momentum heading into the fourth quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points. The visitor added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter to take a 28-20 lead. After a short kickoff, Brown drove his team down the field, but Fort Valley State could only get a Juan Serna 27-yard field goal. The defense was able to get a stop, and Fort Valley State took over with seven minutes left. The Wildcats drove to the Central State 45 but wound up facing a fourth-and-5. Under pressure, Brown found Travis Richmond, who caught the ball 2 yards away from a first down but was able to avoid getting tackled until he gained 6 yards and the fresh set of downs. Fort Valley State face a fourth-and-7 from the 12 with only 34 seconds left, but Brown ran for 8 yards and another first down. Two plays later, Brown found the end zone from 2 yards out.
Central State came to play: Through three quarters, Central State ran 57 plays and gained 256 yards, while Fort Valley State was limited to 26 plays for only 119 yards. But the Wildcats dominated the fourth quarter, running 29 plays to Central State’s nine. Fort Valley State’s game-winning drive lasted seven minutes.
They said it
Brown on moving back to quarterback: “I love playing quarterback and being involved in every play, but I was rusty for most of the game. I mean, I was bouncing passes to my receivers. But at the end, I knew that I had to make plays, and thankfully the entire offense stepped up when we had to.”
Brown on the final drive: “Travis made a great move for the one first down, and I knew inside the 10 it was on me. On the last play, it was me against a defensive player, and I knew I had to win that one. I mean, I had the backing of the entire city of Fort Valley and all of the alumni. I just had to find a way to get into the end zone.”
Brown on the importance of the win: “We have 15 seniors on this team, and all of us wanted this one in the worst way. I am so glad we found a way to get it done.”
Fort Valley State head coach Kevin Porter on the ups and downs of the game: “I thought we played well in the first half, and I thought we played terrible in all aspects of the game in the third quarter. But we were able to keep fighting, and we found a way to win a very important game.”
Porter on the upcoming game against Morehouse: “We have to know that it’s just like a playoff game for us. If we win we have a chance to win the SIAC, but if we lose, we won’t have that chance.”
What’s next?
Fort Valley State plays at Morehouse at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
This story was originally published October 22, 2016 at 8:01 PM with the headline "Otis Brown beats the clock, leads Fort Valley State to victory."