Tigers offense ineffective in loss to Aurora

Nevada Daily Mail

The Nevada Tigers were dominated on both sides of the football by the Aurora Houn' Dawgs Friday night in Aurora, losing 33-13.

Nevada's (2-5, 1-3) offense failed to gain any traction in the first half, and was completely shut down, as they went into half time trailing 12-0.

"We didn't play very well," Nevada head coach Erik Yoakam said. "They had a good game plan against us, and did some good things.

"Our kids had some troubles with what they were doing defensively to us. And defensively we didn't tackle very well. We just really couldn't get things going."

On the game's opening drive, Nevada picked up a first down when junior quarterback Andy Heathman took an option sprint, picking up 7-yards while taking the ball out to their own 48-yard line.

On the following play, Heathman fumbled, but was able to recover, averting an early turnover.

On fourth-and-short, Nevada elected to punt, as Heathman, who is also the team's punter, pinned Aurora at their own 6-yard line.

The next couple of possessions by both teams resulted in three-and-outs.

"We just couldn't sustain a drive," Yoakam said. "We would get a big play, and have a penalty. Or not necessarily a big play, but in our minds three or four yards is a good play. And then when you get a penalty for five ---- that really sets back what we can and can't do."

Starting from their own 42-yard line late in the first quarter, Aurora quarterback Payton Evans hit 6-foot-5 wide receiver Logan Bader on a slant pattern, which went for an 18-yard gain.

Later in the drive, on third-and-6, senior running back Dylan Cullers found a hole, picking up 11-yards after being tackled at the Nevada 25-yard line.

After an Evans screen pass netted 11-yards, tailback Moses Martinez capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run. After a missed extra point, the Houn' Dawgs led 6-0 early in the second quarter.

Nevada started its next drive with excellent field position, after Taylor Manes returned the kickoff across midfield to the Aurora 49-yard line.

After picking up nine yards on three plays, and faced with a fourth-and-1 from the Aurora 40-yard line, Yoakam elected to go for the first down.

Yoakam dialed up a quarterback sneak, which resulted in Heathman being stuffed at the line of scrimmage, turning the ball back over to Aurora.

Aurora began its fifth offensive possession of the first half with prime field position, at the 50-yard line.

Utilizing a trick play on first down, Aurora gained 11-yards on a wide receiver jet sweep, as Skylar Cahill took the ball down to the Nevada 39-yard line.

Later in the drive, Evans found daylight on a designed quarterback play, taking the ball to the Nevada 13-yard line. Cullers then carried the ball on two consecutive plays, picking up 11 yards.

With the ball resting inside the 1-yard line, Evans again fed Culler, who finished off the drive with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone.

After a failed two-point conversion, the Houn' Dawgs led 12-0 with 3:32 remaining in the half.

Second Half

Receiving the ball first to begin the second half, Aurora promptly marched down field, as the Houn' Dawgs ran jet sweep after jet sweep.

On first-and-goal from the 4-yard line, Evans bulldozed his way up the middle, putting Aurora up 18-0 with 8:40 to play in the third quarter. Evans touchdown run put the finishing touch on an 11-play 65-yard drive.

"They have a young quarterback who did a great job extending plays," Yoakam said of Evans. "He would roll out of the pocket and get that 10-yards when you didn't think he could.

"He kept plays alive. It put a lot of pressure on our secondary, when he was running around, trying to find a route."

"I felt like our secondary did a good job. But when you have all day to throw it and we weren't getting to him, and we were getting sucked in, that's how it went.

"You can't expect the secondary to stay locked on them for 10 seconds a play."

With the offense faltering, elite kick returner Chaden Brandt struck for an 80-yard kick return touchdown, slicing the lead to 18-7 midway through the fourth quarter.

"I'm surprised people still kick to him," Yoakam said.

Late in the third quarter, when it looked as if Nevada had come up with a critical third down stop, Tigers linebacker Colton McDowell was flagged for a 15-yard helmet-to-hemet hit, handing the Houn' Dawgs a fresh set of downs.

"It's a fine line if it's helmet-to-helmet, if it's shoulder-to-shoulder, or what," Yoakam said. "In a split-second you don't really know.

"It was a bang-bang (play) and it was so fast it's hard to tell either way. So I was trying to get the call, persuaded to be waived off.

"I was just asking them to explain it to me. What they saw, and justify (it).And they came over and explained it."

Aurora quickly took advantage of the penalty, as Evans connected with his big target Bader twice on the drive for 29-yards.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Evans found pay dirt from 1-yard out. Evans took in the two-point conversion as well, staking Aurora to a 26-7 lead.

After a fake punt on fourth-and-long, Nevada turned the ball over at their ow 25-yard line.

On the series, Nevada was flagged for another helmet-to-helmet hit, followed by a late-hit on Evans.

At that point, Yoakam called a timeout to discuss the situation with his players.

"I called our kids to the side and told them 'We're classy,'" Yoakam said. "And we had another personal foul right after that. And we pulled that player off the field, and went and talked with him and told him to calm down.

"We just wanted to calm our kids down and make sure we stayed true to our Nevada name, and played good football.

Aurora would go on to punch the ball into the end zone, taking a 33-7 lead with 4:44 remaining in the game.

Nevada would add a late touchdown on a 4-yard run by Manes.

"We have to get ourselves in a good spot for district play," Yoakam said. "I think we can still be in the mix. We just have to continue to work hard, and put our kids in a successful situation."

Game Notes

Heathman was knocked out of the game, after sustaining a hit to the head in the fourth quarter, according to Yoakam. On the play in question, Yoakam said he felt Aurora should have been penalized for a helmet-to-helmet hit.

"He took a shot, and was kind of dazed," he said. "So for his protection, I pulled him. I think he's OK. But as a coach, you don't ever want to put a kid in a bad situation to harm them.

"Something wasn't quite right (with Andy). And sometimes that happens in football."

Heathman was replaced by backup quarterback, sophomore Jacob Hammontree.

Yoakam said Heathman will be further evaluated before a decision is made on his availability for next week's game against Warrensburg.

Yoakam said he was unsure if Heathman suffered a concussion on the play.