10/5/2019 11:28:00 PM Wildcats Hold on Final Play, Upset Panthers Share Tweet Pin it +1 E-mail Print Courtesy of Fort Valley State Athletics MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Wildcats defense came to play in the second half Saturday night. On 4th-and-goal from their 12-yardline, the Fort Valley State defense broke up the pass and sealed the upset of Florida Tech, 33-29, in the biggest victory of first half of the season. The Wildcats defensive unit allowed only a 33-yard Panthers field goal, picked off a pass and forced a fumble, which quarterback Slade Jarman with assistance from his offensive lineman plunged into the end zone from three yards out three plays later for what was the game-winning touchdown with 4:49 left in the game. The FVSU (3-2) victory gave it its first three-game win streak since winning four-straight from Oct. 7-28 in the 2017 season. The Wildcats also claimed their first win of three games in the series and first win of the year over an opponent getting votes in the AFCA Division II national poll in the Panthers (3-2). Speaking of the FVSU defensive effort, the unit allowed 280 yards in the first half where FIT scored 20 points, but cut the amount down to 138 yards and only three points in the final 30 minutes to go with the pair of key turnovers. The Wildcats totaled three turnovers for the game, four sacks and the biggest breakup of the night on the final play of their six breakups. Linebacker Aaron Dore paced the FVSU defense with seven tackles, three for loss, a breakup and one force fumble. Zach Anderson and Noah Waller added five stops apiece. Hansberry had five tackles to his credit to go with a tackle for loss and two breakups. Brian Williams picked off the FIT pass and Demetrius Harris sacked the home quarterback twice. Offensively, Jarman led a more-balanced attack than had been seen from the FVSU over the five games. The senior quarterback connected on 21 of 37 pass attempts for 243 yards and one touchdown, but he also rushed for three more scores from 10, three and three (with the last two being the team's final two touchdowns) on 13 carries over 45 yards. Kentavious Thomas and Marlon Fleming brought the running game alive with 102 yards on 19 carries combined. Thomas ran for a team season-high 82 yards on 14 totes, including a 24-yard burst down to the 3-yardline to set up the game-winning Jarman run on the next play. Fleming had five rushes for 20 yards and caught four passes for 32 yards. Down 20-13 at intermission, the Wildcats wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard again with the ball taking the ball first. ON the 11th-play of the drive, Jarman hit Jeffery Mack, who had two grabs for 38 yards, cutting in the back of the endzone from 16 yards for a 20-19 score. After a home punt, Jarman had the FVSU offense back in the red zone, but saw the FIT defender step in from of his pass to the right flat and race 96 yards for the touchdown and take it back to 26-19 with 6:21 in the third quarter. Two possessions later, the Panthers offense put together its lone point-scoring drive of the second half. A Majeste Hansberry pass breakup on 3rd-and-13 forced a FIT 33-yard field goal for a 29-19 score with 14:25 left to go. The final 14 minutes belonged to the Wildcats! Jarman engineered a 9-play, 75-yard drive where he dove in from three yards to cut the deficit to 29-26 at 10:40. The quarterback's 21-yard pass to Mack and a Thomas 10-yard run keyed the drive. The Wildcats picked off the Panthers' quarterback on the next possession, but the offense could not turn it into any points. The FVSU defense, though, gave its offense a second gift when on 3rd-and-33 it forced and recovered a fumble on the home 27-yardline. After Thomas' 24-yard run took the ball to the 3-yardline, Jarman put the Wildcats on top, 33-29, with 4:49 left. After taking over on its 30-yardline, FIT put together an 11-play drive to the visiting 12-yardline. Following timeouts by each team with 33 seconds left, the Panthers pass was broken up by the Wildats' Williams to complete the upset and 33-29 final. FVSU returns to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action next weekend in a road crossover contest at Central State. The Saturday afternoon, Oct. 12, kick-off will be at 1 p.m. in Wilberforce, Ohio -Wildcats-