DEFENSE HAD SOME KEY MOMENTS

There has already been much said and written about the Bearcat offensive performance on Friday, and there could, maybe should be even more forthcoming, but there may be a few defensive notes being lost in translation.

Yes, from a defense that surrendered 473 yards and 46 points.

It was the actually the defense that set the tone early. Leading 7-0 after a 39-yard Dax Goff touchdown run, the defense forced a three-and-out with Goff and Dunn Daniel combining twice for negative yardage plays.

Daniel had 10 total stops on the night with three for a loss.

After Trace Hall ran 23 yards for a touchdown it was 14-0 and the Bearcats had Chase Plymale make a backfield stop, Jace Washburn (shown) broke up a pass, and Daniel made a third down stop.

Hackett did score on a fourth down pass, but they were 0–of-2 on third at that point and finished 2-of-10.

Plymale recovered an onside kick — he did that three times — and a short field led to Hall’s second touchdown, on a 19-yard run and it was 21-6 with 3:43 left in the opening quarter.

Hall was on his way to 222 yards and five touchdowns on 14 carries.

Cody Elliott disrupted a fourth down pass — the Hornets were 3-of-6 on fourth down — then carried three times for 48 yards and scored from 28 yards out and it was 27-6.

Elliott had a career high 116 yards on 13 Carrie’s and also had 10 tackles.

Aided by a pass interference flag the Hornets cut it to 27-12 on a 6-yard touchdown pass.

After that score Hackett pooch kicked with Elliott recovering at the 20 for the worst starting position for the Bearcats.

It did not matter as Goff went 80 for a touchdown to make it 34-12.

Goff would run for 226 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries.

A David Hicks sack and Goff batting down a pass got the Bearcats the ball back and Hall would score a third touchdown of the half on a run of 36 yards to make it 40-12 4:14 before halftime.

Two plays later it was 41-18 with the touchdown coming on a 67-yard pass play.

Dakota Mattson recovered an onside kick and, after Hall got 10 on a fourth down, Mattson was later on the receiving end of a halfback pass from Goff and it was 47-18 with 16 seconds left in the half.

Marcos Mullor, who was 9-of-11 on PAT tries, sent the kickoff straight at a Hornet up-man and it caromed off him and was recovered by Washburn.

Another second or two and the Bearcats could have possibly tried a field goal. After a time out with :06 to go Washburn threw Hall a pass that went for 23 to the 13 but the clock expired.

It was the only possession on which the Bearcats did not score.

Hackett went to a more deliberate pace to start the second half but marched to a 5-yard scoring run with 8:20 to go in the third quarter and it was 47-24.

A holding penalty — the first such of the game — took away a Hall 51-yard touchdown run but the Bearcats needed just seven plays to score anyway.

Goff got the touchdown from the 15 and it was 54-24 with 4:45 left in the quarter.

Plymale forced a fumble on the next Hackett possession that Goff appeared to recover but the Hornets were given the ball back plus 15 yards when the Bearcat sideline erupted.

Another flag — there would be 10 for 90 yards before it ended — moved the Hornets inside the 10 and a touchdown pass made it 54-30 with 2:28 left in the third quarter.

That score lasted one snap as Hall went 50 yards to make it 61-30 13 seconds later.

That score lasted 24 seconds because Hackett got a 68-yard TD pass to make it 61-38.

Overcoming another holding flag the Bearcats would drive to another score by Hall — his fifth — from the 8 and it was 68-38 with 10:46 to play.

A Demari Pool sack and a holding flag — Hackett drew four flags for 31 yards — led to a failed fourth down by Hackett from their 30.

Goff got his fourth touchdown the next play to make it 75-38 and start the sportsmanship clock about the seven minute mark of the final quarter.

That wrapped up a 586 rushing yard and 616 total offense night behind a Bearcat line that included, at various times, Matt O’Bar, Mat Crosby, Johnny Barnes, Clayton Wingfield, Cam Osborne, and Brett Welling.

Hackett used the remaining time and an interference flag to tack on another score on a run and two-point pass to make it 75-46.

The Bearcats are back at Bearcat Stadium this week to face West Fork for homecoming.