Guilford's late TD sends CUA to 34-27 loss on Senior Day
WASHINGTON – Guilford's Rob Fields caught a six-yard touchdown from Zac Halbert with 32 seconds remaining and the Quakers held on to down CUA 34-27 inside Cardinal Stadium on Senior Day. CUA led 20-6 early in the second quarter but was unable to hold on, dropping the Cardinals to 5-4 overall on the season.
CUA trailed 27-20 entering the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals finished off an 11-play, 71-yard drive with a Mike McCarthy one-yard rush to tie things at 27 with 13:16 to play in the game.
The teams then traded punts before Guilford got the ball back with 5:57 on the clock. The Quakers proceeded to march 66 yards in 5:31 and Fields' touchdown put the visitors in front with less than a minute to play.
CUA got the ball back one more time and began its drive at its own 37-yard line. Two straight incompletions ensued before Greg Cordivari hit Tanner Keefe for 13 yards and Tucker Hubbell for 14 yards to set the Cardinals up with a first and ten at the Guilford 36.
With only four seconds to play CUA had one final chance to throw a Hail Mary pass, but Cordivari was sacked as time expired and the game was over.
CUA jumped on top of the Quakers with a ten-yard scoring pass from Cordivari to Wes Stringfield on the Cardinals first possession.
Guilford responded with a seven-play, 63-yard drive that resulted in a Josh Williams touchdown run, but the ensuing extra point was missed and the score was 7-6.
The Cardinals answered right back with a 54-yard drive in only three plays that ended on a 40-yard touchdown reception by Andrew Ouellette to put the home team in front 14-6.
CUA's lead grew to 20-6 early in the second when Ouellette came down with a 25-yard touchdown reception, but the extra point was missed and the Cardinals lead was 14.
Another Williams touchdown, this one from one-yard out, pulled the Quakers to within 20-13 with 12:11 to play in the first half, and a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown by Guilford pulled the teams even at 20.
The score remained that way entering halftime.
Guilford took its first lead of the game in the third when Halbert found Ben King for a 20-yard score to make it 27-20.
Cordivari finished the day 30 of 48 through the air for 373 yards and one score, but he did throw two interceptions. Stringfield (119) and Ouellette (105) both had 100-yard receiving games, while Mike Pitsenberger rushed for 66 yards on 12 carries.
Senior James Fucillo recorded 14 tackles in his final game at Cardinal Stadium, while Conor Stueckler (13), Miniard Culpepper (11) and Cole McDonough (10) all finished with double-digit stops. Stueckler also had an interception, and Vinny Cortese recorded the Cardinals lone sack.
King had a huge game for Guilford, hauling in 13 receptions for 200 yards and a score, with Halbert completing 25 of 36 passes for 274 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Quakers were led on defense by Hunter English with nine tackles, with Brad Gayhardt and Chris Jessup recording sacks.
Guilford held the ball for over 40 minutes on the afternoon, while both teams did a great job on third down, with CUA converting 8 of 12 chances and the Quakers finishing 9 of 15.
CUA will close out its 2011 season next Saturday, November 12 when the Cardinals travel to Virginia to face Bridgewater. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.
