COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was a night that Marty Jones and Tennessee Tech fans won't soon forget.
A sixth-year senior who is closing in on his third degree, Jones tied an OVC record with four interceptions, led all players with 12 tackles, and ran in a critical two-point conversion to lift Tech (3-4/2-2 OVC) to a 39-31, come-from-behind victory over 12th ranked Eastern Kentucky Saturday night in Tucker Stadium
Tech rallied from a 21-point, fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Colonels (6-1/3-1 OVC) and hand EKU its first loss of the year.
Junior Ladarius Vanlier returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter, and capped the scoring with a 63-yard touchdown run with two minutes to play to take some of the drama out of the finish. The speedy junior had 19 carries for 140 yards and finished the contest with 264 all-purpose yards.
Trailing 31-10 to open the final period, senior quarterback Darian Stone connected on three touchdown passes to lead the comeback, two of them going to Brock McCoin. The redshirt freshman grabbed 11 passes for 128 yards, and scored on a 14-yard strike to open the comeback and 27 yards to pull Tech within one point.
Jones, who led all players with 12 tackles, also made what might have been the biggest play of the night. After Tech drove 62 yards in four plays to pull within 31-30 with 3:41 to play, the sixth-year senior, who holds on kicks, mishandled the snap on the PAT that was set to tie the contest. He picked up the ball, raced around the left side, and dove over a couple of tacklers into the end zone to put the Golden Eagles up, 32-31.
The play changed the complexion of the game, forcing EKU to try to score rather than playing it safe and waiting for overtime.
The Tech defense held EKU three-and-out and forced a punt, which sailed out of bounds at the Tech 37. On first down, Vanlier slipped through a crack on the left side and went untouched 63 yards for a touchdown with 2:01 to play. John Arnold's PAT made it 39-31.
Jones intercepted passes down the middle on both of EKU's final two possessions to kill any comeback hopes by the Colonels. His four picks set a school record and tied an OVC mark which was first set in 1948 and has been matched four other times, most recently in 1986 by Pat Smith of EKU.
Tech's defense forced seven turnovers in the game, adding three fumble recoveries to Jones' four picks. The 12 tackles also boosed Jones over the 300-tackle mark for his career, giving him 308.
Five different Golden Eagles registered double figures in tackles. Cory Webber Jay Rudwall and Trey Thompson had 11 tackles apiece and Austin Tallant added 10, raising his career total to 310 tackles. Rudwall forced two of EKU's five fumbles.
Tech finished the contest with a season-best 453 yards of offense, splitting it almost down the middle with 225 passing yards and 228 on the ground. EKU had 413 yards of offense, with 298 rushing and 115 passing.
Dy'Shawn Mobley was the game's top rusher with 163 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries. EKU quarterbacks Bennie Coney and Jared McClain combined to go 12-for-23 for 115 yards, each getting sacked twice and each throwing two interceptions.
Vanlier rushed for a career-best 140 yards on 19 carries while Darian Stone added 66 yards on 17 carries. Stone was 26-for-45 for 225 yards with three TDs and one interception. He was sacked twice. McCoin had a career night with 11 receptions for 128 yards.
EKU struck first with a 22-yard field goal by Andrew Lloyd with 3:13 to play in the first quarter. Four minutes later, Vanlier broke through the middle for his 79-yard punt return, his second punt return for TD this year and third return score of the season.
The Colonels came back in two plays, with McClain sprinting the final 30 yards for the touchdown to grab a 10-7 lead. EKU then drove 50 yards in five plays for a 17-10 lead woth 9:17 left in the half.
Arnold's 44-yard field goal with 6:31 to go made it 17-10 at halftime.
Mobley broke free from 18 yards out midway in the third quarter to finish off a 68-yard scoring drive for a 24-10 EKU lead.
Four minutes later, after Stone had moved Tech to the 20, the Golden Eagles were forced to try a 32-yard field goal. Stanley Absanon came off the wing to block the kick, picked it up and ran 75 yards for an EKU touchdown and a 31-10 lead with 2:11 to play in the period.
Tech's opening drive of the final period went to a fourth-and-two at the EKU 14, when Stone found McCoin over the middle and the elusive receiver took it into the end zone with 12:50 to play to make it 31-17.
Rudwall halted EKU's next possession when he scooped up a fumble after McClain lost the handle while rolling out and scrambling. That came at the EKU 33 and Tech got to the 15, where Vanlier pulled in a crucial 11-yard pass from Stone to the Colonel three-yard-line. Two plays later, Cody Matthews snared his 12th career touchdown to make it 31-24 with 7:34 left to play.
The Tech defense forced another turnover a minute later as Harrison Reid stripped the ball from McClain and Lenier Lee recovered at the EKU 21 with 6:37 to play.
Tech lost the ball on the first play when Stone fumbled and Chris Kelly recovered for the Colonels.
Once again, the Golden Eagle defense rose to the occasion and got the ball back after forcing a punt. Reid and Rudwall stopped Mobley on third-and-three, and the punt was out of bounds at the Tech 38.
Vanlier went 34 yards on first down, and McCoin pulled in a 27-yard pass for his second career touchdown with 3:41 left. That set the stage for Jones' two-point run.
The Golden Eagles get another FCS ranked opponent next week when they visit No. 6 Jacksonville State for a 3 p.m. contest.
