Red Wins Spring Game On Final Field Goal

4/14/2018 1:36 PM | Football

SALT LAKE CITY – In the 17^thannual Red White game at Rice-Eccles Stadium today, the Red team came away victorious on a last second field goal to claim the 25-23 win.

Senior Matt Gay lined up to knock in a 57-yard field goal just seconds after the White team had taken a 23-22 lead in the fourth quarter, but the All-American from Orem, Utah, didn't hesitate and blasted it between the uprights for the win.

WHAT. A. GAME. pic.twitter.com/eOzIgznve4
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) April 15, 2018

"I was 100-percent confident in him when he came out to take the kick," head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "That guy can hit from 60-plus yards. It was 57 yards and it probably had another five or six yards on it. He didn't win the Lou Groza Award for nothing. He handles the pressure and he has a strong leg. He is the whole package."

Tyler Huntley and Jason Shelley were the quarterbacks for the Red team with Huntley passing for 72 yards (6-for-12, 1 TD) and Shelley adding 85 yards passing (11-for-14, 1 TD) and 22 yards rushing. For the White team, Drew Lisk turned in a strong performance with 133 yards (8-for-12, 2 TD) with Jack Tuttle adding 86 yards passing for a touchdown (8-for-14, 2 INT).

The tight ends put on a show today with Bapa Falemaka leading the Red team with six catches for 69 yards while Connor Haller and Jake Jackson led the White team with 54 and 50 yards, respectively. Jameson Field and Batchlor Johnson scored receiving touchdowns for the Red team while Demari Simpkins, Jackson and Samson Nacua put up points for the White.

Armand Shyne led the Red team in rushing with seven carries for 28 yards while Tuttle had 22 yards for the White. Joey Wood played for both teams during today's scrimmage, adding 23 yards for the White team and 18 yards and a touchdown for the Red.

On defense, Chris Hart led the White team with seven tackles and a pass breakup with Tareke Lewis adding five stops and a breakup. Pita Tonga, Hauati Pututau and Maxs Tupai also came away with one sack each for the White.

On the red team, Terrell Burgess notched six tackles and an interception return for 69 yards in the second quarter with Moroni Anae chipping in four tackles. Mika Tafua also had a strong game with two solo tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

The Red team struck first after Javelin Guidry picked off Tuttle for a 17-yard return, setting up the red squad for its first scoring drive of the game. Huntley linked up with Field for a seven-yard touchdown just two plays later, giving the Red team a 7-0 lead at the 8:59 mark in the second quarter.

The White team took the momentum back with a safety after Pututau sacked Shelley in their own end zone to cut the Red lead to 7-1 with 6:48 on the clock in the second quarter. The White team then took the lead later in the second quarter when Tuttle found Jackson open.

Jackson broke through multiple tackles to find the end zone, ending with a 49-yard reception from Tuttle. It put the White squad up 9-7 with 5:37 left on the clock, ending a 55-yard scoring drive that took 1:11 off the clock.

Red continued to press on offense, keeping the second quarter shootout going with a two-yard rushing score from Wood to give them a 14-9 advantage with 18 seconds remaining in the quarter.

It was a defensive battle in the third quarter with no points scored on either side. Tafua was able to come up big for the red team when he forced a fumble on a Mason Woodward rush, recovering the ball and getting it back in Red's hands.

The White team got things started in the fourth quarter when Lisk and Simpkins were in sync for a 12-yard touchdown with 9:21 on the clock. It gave White a 15-14 advantage, ending an 80-yard drive that had started in the third quarter.

Red didn't quit though, winding down the clock to eventually send Johnson into the end zone on a seven-yard pass from Shelley with 2:45 on the clock. The Red team went for two with Shelley finding Field open for the conversion, giving the Red team a 22-15 lead heading into the final two minutes of the game.

White countered after Lisk drove the team down field for 65 yards, ending the drive with a 12-yard scoring pass to Nacua. The White team also went for the two-point conversion, walking away successful with Lisk getting a pass into Jaylen Dixon to give White a 23-22 lead with 28 seconds remaining in the game.

The Red team started its drive at the 50-yard-line and was able to get it to the 38 before calling a timeout with three seconds left in the game. It was then up to Gay, the Lou Groza Award winner, who entered the field to attempt the 57-yarder, and with no hesitation, knocked it through the uprights for the 25-23 victory.

Players that did not play in the Red White Game
Philip Afia, Cody Barton, Jackson Barton, Quinn Fabrizio, Lo Falemaka, Jaylon Johnson, Zack Moss, Darrin Paulo, Bryan Thompson, Bradlee Anae, Corrion Ballard, Julian Blackmon, Marquise Blair, Bronson Boyd, Johnny Capra, Tyquez Hampton, Chase Hansen, Devonta'e Henry-Cole, Donavan Thompson, Paul Toala (Tyler Huntley and Jake Jackson only played one half)