The Citadel rallies from two-touchdown deficit to capture Military Classic of the South
· Yahoo Sports
Nov. 14—The Citadel's Quentin Hayes emerged from the phone booth with his cape in hand as he rescued the Bulldogs in the Military Classic of the South.
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Like Superman from the comics, Hayes came off the bench in the second half as The Citadel rallied from a two-touchdown fourth quarter deficit to beat VMI 24-21 on Evan Keily's 35-yard field goal in double overtime at Foster Stadium on Nov. 14.
The Bulldogs (3-8, 1-6 SoCon) ended a five-game losing streak with the victory and retained the coveted Silver Shako for the fourth straight year.
The Keydets fell to 0-10, 0-7.
The Citadel, which committed three turnovers, appeared to well on its way to another disappointing loss headed into the fourth quarter, trailing its military rival 14-0 with just 15 minutes to play.
Enter Quentin Hayes, who had not played in any significant way in the last three games. The former Air Force transfer calmly led the Bulldogs on a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives.
Hayes capped a 5 play, 65-yard drive with a nifty 6-yard TD run to cut the Keydets' lead to 14-7 with 13:07 to play. Running back Sebastien Boyle tied the game at 14 with his 7-yard TD run with 5:32 to play in regulation.
VMI missed a short field goal with 17 seconds to play to send the game into overtime.
Gavin Garcia, who finished with 100 rushing yards, scored from 15 yards out in the first overtime to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the day at 21-14. VMI answered with a TD of its own to send the game to a second overtime, but then turned the ball over on an interception on a halfback option play.
Four plays later, Keily booted the game winner.
"We had planned on playing Quentin — that was part of the game plan," said The Citadel coach Maurice Drayton. "I'm so happy for him. He's still dealing with some things, but he was able to overcome them and lead us in the fourth quarter."
Key stats
—This was the fourth overtime game the Bulldogs have played in this season — Charlotte, Charleston Southern and S.C. State — and their third win in extra time.
The Citadel has not won a game in regulation this season.
—Backup running back Israel Benjamin had his best game in a Bulldogs uniform, rushing for a season-high 92 yards, which included a long run of 28 yards.
—The Citadel linebacker Zyion Brown led the Bulldogs in tackles with 12 total stops, including eight solo tackles and a tackle for loss.
—The third quarter continues to be an issue for the Bulldogs, who were outscored 14-0 by the Keydets. The Bulldogs have been outscored 110-45 in the fourth quarter this season.
Notes
—Brent Thompson, former Citadel head football coach, was out of football for four seasons but joined the VMI coaching staff as the team's offensive coordinator. Thompson spent nearly a decade in the Lowcountry at The Citadel, including seven as the Bulldogs head coach.
The Keydets managed just 269 yards of total offense.
—The Citadel and VMI played to a scoreless tie during the first half on Saturday. The last time the Bulldogs played in a scoreless half was in 2022 against Mercer. The Bears ended up winning that game 17-0.
—The Citadel leads the all-time series with VMI 47-33-2. The Bulldogs have won five of the last six matchups.
Turning point
Quentin Hayes.
The Bulldogs offense had done little for the first three quarters besides turning the ball over three times and missing field goals.
Hayes settled the offense down and got the unit into a good rhythm in the fourth quarter where they scored on both offensive possessions.
Quotable
"Going through what the players go through Monday through Friday, you have to have character and you have to be resilient. I give our guys so much credit, to go down 14-0 and don't play well in the third quarter and to come back in the fourth quarter and don't blink and play the way they did, speaks to that character that we talk about all the time." — The Citadel defensive coordinator Raleigh Jackson.
Next game
The Citadel will travel to Cullowhee, N.C., to face Western Carolina in season finale. The Bulldogs lead the overall series 27-22-1, but the Catamounts have won five of the last six games. The Citadel's last win was a 34-21 victory in 2022. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at E.J. Whitmire Stadium.
Reach Andrew Miller at 843-937-5599. Follow him on X @APMILLER_PandC