The Lincoln Blue Tigers had a chance to celebrate a win on Homecoming. It just wasn't meant to be this year.
Penalties cost the Blue Tigers on a number of offensive possessions, and a go-ahead field goal try with about three minutes to play was no good. The Quincy Hawks were able to escape Saturday with a 14-13 win at Dwight T. Reed Stadium for their first victory this season in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.
"We've got to make the field goal and we've got to take the 21 points we left out there in the first half," Lincoln coach Steven Smith said. "We have to play together. We have to execute, and stop coming out and not preparing ourselves for what we need to get done.
"I feel like we put ourselves in a position to win the game, and we didn't capitalize when it was time to win the game."
Lincoln's offense played turnover-free football for the first time this season, but the Blue Tigers failed to reach the red zone all game Saturday.
However, the mistakes were made via yellow flags. The Blue Tigers were whistled for 10 penalties totaling 78 yards, most of which came on their non-scoring drives.
"They were very brutal," Smith said. "We'd get down (in Quincy territory) and then back ourselves out. You can't do that."
Lincoln made field goals on each of its first two possessions. Fernando Ramirez finished off a nine-play, 31-yard drive with a 47-yard field goal to put the Blue Tigers ahead 3-0 less than five minutes into the game.
After the Lincoln defense forced a three-and-out on Quincy's first possession, the Blue Tigers failed to take full advantage of a drive that started at midfield. Ramirez settled for a 43-yard field goal to double Lincoln's lead to 6-0 with 3:07 left in the opening quarter.
"I liked the way we came out and moved the ball," Smith said. "We did well, but we didn't finish. I prefer to finish with a touchdown, not a field goal."
Quincy followed with a lengthy drive, beginning on its own 25-yard line and lasting 17 plays. The Hawks had five first downs on the possession and faced first-and-goal on the Lincoln 5.
The Blue Tigers came up with a big goal-line stop and didn't allow the Hawks to advance the ball past the 3-yard line. Amani Nelson batted away a pass in the end zone on fourth down to force a turnover on downs with 10:08 to go in the second quarter.
"The defense did a great job there," Smith said.
Then came the two explosion plays that were the difference in the game.
Quincy quarterback Andrew Rund completed a 47-yard pass to Gabriel Bryant, moving the ball to Lincoln's 8-yard line. Two plays later, Jordan Smith scored on a 3-yard run, and Michael Klotz added the extra point to give Quincy a 7-6 lead with 2:13 left in the second quarter.
The Hawks took that one-point lead into halftime, then came out and scored on the opening possession of the second half. Rund connected on a 75-yard pass to Shane Barrett, moving the ball to the Lincoln 2-yard line. Three plays later, Theo Hopkins scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to extend Quincy's lead to 14-6 with 12:41 remaining in the third quarter.
"We gave them the explosive plays, we didn't stop it," Smith said.
Lincoln answered quickly, scoring on its next possession.
Quarterback Henry Ogala threw a short pass to Justin Korakakos on third-and-3, which easily gave the Blue Tigers a first down. However, Korakakos zig-zagged his way to the middle of the field, bursting through a hole in the Quincy defense for a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Ramirez added the extra point, cutting the Hawks' lead to 14-13 with 9:18 still to play in the third.
"I'm a big fan of getting them the ball underneath and letting them do their job," Smith said of his wide receivers. "We tried to take some shots (downfield) and it just didn't work out this game."
Each of Lincoln's next three possessions came up empty. The last drive was the most crushing.
Facing fourth down deep in their territory and set to punt, the Blue Tigers drew the Hawks offsides for a first down. Then, facing fourth-and-9 from the Quincy 41 with the game on the line, Ogala scrambled for a 13-yard gain, moving the ball inside the 30.
"We made a play when we needed to make a play," Smith said.
Lincoln had to settle for a 50-yard field-goal attempt by Ramirez, but the ball came off his foot wrong, never elevating and landed short of the goal line with 2:58 to play.
Quincy made a first down on the ensuing drive and was able to run out the clock.
Ogala finished 9-of-19 passing for 148 yards and a touchdown.
"We didn't make good decisions and we dropped the ball," Smith said.
Kimbo Ferguson led the Lincoln offense with 24 carries for 102 yards. His counterpart, Hopkins, was making his first start at running back for Quincy (2-4, 1-1 GLVC) after playing previously at cornerback. Hopkins had 27 carries for 82 yards.
Edwin Durassaint led Lincoln's defense with 12 tackles. Joseph Madrigal recovered a fumble on the final play of the first half and Garen McKinney intercepted a pass late in the third quarter for the Blue Tigers' two takeaways.
Lincoln (2-4, 1-2 GLVC) will begin a stretch of four straight road games next Saturday at Truman State. The Bulldogs (3-3, 2-0 GLVC) picked up a 45-38 road win Saturday at McKendree.
"I don't think anything's tough if you do what you're supposed to do," Smith said. "No more moral wins, we've just got to win games."