Miners come back in a big way to down Morehead State

Ashton Gronewold

MOREHEAD, Ky. – Joe Winters and the Miner offense got off to a slow start Saturday night, as did the Miner defense. But once things got rolling in the right direction for UMR...

Winters overcame a 1-of-10 start to throw for 415 yards and six touchdowns, three of them to Ashton Gronewold on a record-setting night for the junior wideout, while the Miner defense forced five turnovers -- three that led to 21 points in a key stretch in the second half -- as UMR rallied for a 49-37 victory at Morehead State.

The Miners scored on five of their seven possessions in the second half – three of the scores coming after the defense forced turnovers – and rallied from a pair of 14-point deficits to avenge last season’s loss to MSU when they held a 32-point lead at one time.

After his rough start, Winters completed 22 of his final 29 passes to go 23-39 for the 415 yards and six scores, tying the school record he had matched just a week ago at Lincoln. Gronewold caught three of the scoring passes as part of a 229-yard night receiving, setting new records for career touchdowns (32) and receiving yards in a game to break a mark that had stood for 29 years (Andy Cox had 199 yards in a 1977 game against Missouri Southern).

In addition, the 229 yards and 18 points that Gronewold accumulated in the game also allowed him to pass two other career marks. Brett Fischer's career mark for receiving yards fell as Gronewold's receiving yardage total now stands at 2,013 after Saturday's performance, while the 18 points pushed the junior from Carthage, Ill., past Jim Zacny on the points scored list. Gronewold now has 192 points in his two-plus seasons at UMR.

However, it was the Eagles who got off to the fast start as they opened the game with good field position at UMR’s 41 and took advantage of that by running through the Miners, ending up in the end zone on a one-yard scoring run by Ricky Cornelius just 2:50 into play.

After the Miners went three-and-out on their initial possession, they nearly gained a turnover when MSU quarterback Brian Yost lost the handle on the ball. UMR’s Gabriel Cunha recovered the fumble and returned it into Eagle territory, but fumbled it back to Morehead State during the return.

Given that second chance, the Eagles capitalized by driving back down the field for a score as Eric Fitzpatrick carried the ball in from 19 yards out on a third-and-one play to make it 14-0.

UMR started slowly on offense, as quarterback Joe Winters did not complete his first pass of the night until the second quarter. Later in the period, he guided the Miners on an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive that culminated in a 15-yard scoring pass to Ashton Gronewold, to tie the school record for career touchdowns.

The key play in the drive was an 18-yard pass from Winters to freshman Nathan Binder on fourth down, as Binder made a diving catch to keep the drive going. Gronewold caught the scoring pass on the next play to cut the Eagle lead in half.

Morehead State answered the Miner score by getting in the end zone just three plays after getting the ball back, as Yost hit Fitzpatrick down the sideline for a 49-yard touchdown pass to move the Eagle lead back to 14 at 21-7.

But the Miners bounced right back, getting a good run from Matt Padilla to open the drive and a 24-yard reception by Gronewold to set up a 20-yard scoring pass from Winters to Mike Greaving to make it a seven-point game again.

MSU extended its lead to 10 at 24-14 when Max Hammond kicked a 25-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.

But as Morehead State did to open the game, the Miners got great field position to open the second half on a good kickoff return by Brandon Landry. Aided by a personal foul during the drive, the Miners moved to within three as Padilla scored on a two-yard run just 2:38 into the half.

The Miner defense, however, couldn’t hold the Eagles on their initial possession of the second half as Morehead State converted a pass play on third down, then got plays covering 18 and 20 yards before Jabari McGee ran 16 yards for a score to make it a 31-21 game. The Eagles threatened again on their next drive as they moved deep into Miner territory, but Yost fumbled the ball away to the Miners’ Justin Butler at the UMR 8 to halt that chance.

UMR took advantage of the turnover by quickly going down the field to make it 31-28, as Winters connected with Gronewold over the middle and the wideout took it the rest of the way for a 56-yard touchdown reception – the record-breaking 31st career touchdown for Gronewold – with 3:50 to go in the third quarter.

Another turnover by the Eagles, this one on a run by Fitzpatrick that would have gained a first down, set the Miners up at their own 28. Gronewold caught a pair of receptions for first downs to lead to an 11-yard scoring pass from Winters to Landry in the corner of the end zone, giving UMR its first lead of the night 17 seconds into the fourth quarter at 35-31.

The Miners got another turnover shortly after getting the lead when Matt Loula knocked the ball out of Yost’s hand at the MSU 28, then UMR scored two plays later when Greaving caught an 11-yard scoring pass.

Morehead State drew to within five as Fitzpatrick raced 35 yards for a score, but Cornelius was stopped short of the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt with 8:30 to play.

But the Miners came up with a huge third down play with 4:06 to go, as Winters escaped from an Eagle blitz and hit Gronewold along the sideline for a 48-yard touchdown reception – Winters’ sixth scoring pass of the night – to make the score 49-37. The Miners’ Brian Gronewold put the final nail in the coffin for the Eagles by intercepting a pass and returning it inside the Eagle 10 with under three minutes to play.

The Miners return to Rolla next week to play their home opener against Saint Joseph’s (2-2) Sept. 30 at Allgood-Bailey Stadium. Kickoff will be at 6:30 p.m. for Taco Bell Hall of Fame Night at UMR; it will also be Family Weekend at UMR. Saint Joseph’s fell 35-22 Saturday night at Indianapolis.