RAPID CITY, S.D. – October 29, 2016 – Trailing by 14 points with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Fort Lewis College football team stormed back Saturday afternoon at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to tie the game and send it into overtime.  FLC won the game in the extra period on a two-point conversion, 53-52.
 
The last time FLC won an overtime game was Oct. 30, 2004 at Western New Mexico University, 20-17.
 
Drake Griffin recorded four rushing touchdowns against the Hardrockers. He finished the game with 168 yards on 22 carries.  Griffin's 168 rushing yards puts him over the 1,000 rushing yard mark, becoming the fourth Fort Lewis College player to run for more than 1,000 yards in a season.
 
The last time a Skyhawk scored four rushing touchdowns was Justin Matherson at Colorado School of Mines on Oct. 21, 2006.
 
On the very first play of the game, Griffin fumbled the ball which gave the Hardrockers a 22-yard field.  The Skyhawks defense held South Dakota Mines to a 34-yard field.
 
FLC's next drive resulted in a turnover on downs, but the Skyhawks scored the first touchdown of the game on their third drive.  Griffin sealed a seven-play, 80-yard drive on a 23-yard touchdown run to give FLC their first lead of the game, 7-3. 
 
The Hardrockers quickly answered three plays later to regain the lead, 10-7 that they carried into the second quarter. 
 
On a three-and-out drive in the second quarter, Joseph Cavale recorded a 48-yard punt that was returned 31 yards by Isiah Manley to the Skyhawks 48-yard line.  SDSMT struck quick again on a 48-yard pass completion by Evan Sanders to Marcus Sanchez.
 
Griffin recorded his second touchdown of the game on the ensuing drive for FLC, this time from 20-yards out.  The Skyhawks ran the ball four of the five plays on the drive for 64 yards while also receiving a 15-yard pass interference penalty.
 
The Skyhawks took their second lead of the game, 21-17, on their second to last drive of the second quarter.  On fourth-and-two from the Hardrockers 41-yard line, Griffin carried the ball 41-yards into the endzone with 4:02 left in the first half that they carried into halftime.
 
South Dakota Mines opened the second half with a two-play, 56-yard drive that ended in the endzone on a drive that lasted 39 seconds.  The score was the third lead change of the game as South Dakota Mines took a 24-21 lead.
 
Cavale made a 30-yard field goal to tie the game, 24-24.  The Hardrockers finished the quarter scoring two touchdowns on back-to-back drives.  SDSMT recorded 194 yards of total offense in the third quarter to the Skyhawks 87 as they out-scored FLC, 21-3.
 
Trailing 38-24 to start the final stanza, the Skyhawks opened the fourth quarter with a 12-play, 65-yard drive that ended with Bo Coleman rushing into the endzone from six yards out to cut the lead down to 38-31.
 
The Hardrockers took back their 14-point lead (45-31) when Rashad Ridley ran back a kickoff 95-yards with 11:05 left in regulation.
 
Starting on their own 30-yard line, Coleman completed a pass to Jordan Gillen for a 19-yard gain, followed by PJ Hall's rush for 16 yards.  An incomplete pass followed by two rushing plays that gained eight yards, Coleman rushed into the endzone again from 12 yards out on third-and-two. 
 
Down 45-38, Michael Molina recovered a fumble on the Hardrockers 49-yard line that resulted in a Coleman to Arealous Hughes connection for 27-yards and a touchdown to tie the game at 45-45 and send the game into overtime.
 
South Dakota Mines scored a touchdown on their first drive of overtime for a 52-45 lead. 
 
On the Skyhawks first possession of overtime, Griffin rushed for three yards before Coleman completed a seven yard pass to AJ Shaw for a first down.  Play number three of the drive ended with Griffin's fourth touchdown of the game.  The Skyhawks elected to go for two on the extra point attempt, which ended in Coleman rushing in for the game-winning score.
 
The Skyhawks recorded 556 yards of total offense on 79 plays, while South Dakota Mines netted 441 yards of total offense on 61 plays.
 
FLC ran the ball 57 times for 415 yards and possessed the ball for nearly 40 minutes.  The Skyhawks defense held the Hardrockers to 191 rushing yards.
 
Three Skyhawks rushed for 100 yards against the Hardrockers.  Joining Griffin's 168 rushing yards were Bo Coleman and PJ Hall. Coleman carried the ball 17 times for 141 yards and two scores, and Hall added 106 yards on 18 carries.
 
In the air, Coleman completed 11-of-22 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown.  Gillen caught four of his passes for 60 yards and Hughes added three catches for 46 yards and one touchdown.
 
Cavale averaged 50 yards on two punts and 62 yards on eight kickoffs.  He was 1-for-1 on field goals and 6-for-6 on extra point attempts.
 
The Skyhawks defense was led by Andrew Ike who tallied 10 tackles. 
 
FLC will play their final home game on Nov. 5 against New Mexico Highlands University at 12 p.m.