SNOW KICKS OFF 2007
CAMPAIGN WITH VICTORY
by Tyler Hughes

Badgers Win 32-14 Take Opener

The 2007 Snow College football team opened up the new season on the road versus Air Force Prep in Colorado Springs, CO. The Badgers, currently ranked #2 nationally, started the season off right with a 32-14 win.

The Badgers relied on tremendous defense early on as the offense struggled to find their way. The Snow defense was able to hold the Huskies scoreless in the 1st half despite being challenged with defending short fields and having to overcome offensive turnovers.

The Badger offensive attack finally got on track as freshman quarterback, Jon Eastman connected with Kyle Hatch (Freshman – Manti, UT) for a 61 yard touchdown pass. Eastman received great pass protection from the Badger offensive line, which enabled him to complete the long ball to Hatch.

After taking a 7-0 lead into halftime, Snow College was able to score touchdowns on four of the first five drives to open the second half including two scoring drives that were over 75 yards each.

After a strong defensive stop to start the 2nd half, the Badgers found themselves facing a 4th down play on the Husky 35 yard line. Eastman looked deep again with Air Force playing tight coverage underneath and found Kimball Burton down the Badger sideline. Burton was able to haul in a spectacular diving reception while being marked down at the two yard line. One play later, Soni Sotele punched it for a two yard scoring run.

The Badgers had a failed onside kick attempt after the second score and after a personal foul penalty, the Badger defense found themselves defending from their own 25 yard line. The Huskies were able to capitalize on a short field and brought the score to 14-7 as Keegan Gogerty caught a 25 yard touchdown pass from Tim Jefferson.

After a Badger three-and-out, the Huskies had momentum; however the defense forced a three-and-out of their own which put the Badger offense on the field again. Three straight possessions followed that ended in scores for Snow College including a 52 yard scoring strike from Eastman to Hatch. Hatch on the day had 4 receptions for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns.

On their next possession, the Badgers saw Eastman look downfield again, this time to freshman tight end Lyle Gardner. Gardner got down the sideline with a tremendous catch followed by sprinting down the field before being finally drug down at the Husky 15 yard line. The next play the Badgers called a reverse to wideout, Regan Buck. After a great move in space to beat a Husky defender, he received two blocks downfield from Eastman and fellow wideout, Adam Frandsen, which helped spring him into the end zone.

With the Huskies reeling, the defense forced another three-and-out which placed Air Force’s defense right back onto the field. It took Snow just five plays to see Adam Frandsen, a Pre-Season All-American selection, to net his first touchdown of the season. Eastman connected with Frandsen with a 26 yard scoring strike which put the Badgers comfortably ahead 32-7 in the middle of the 4th quarter.

Snow College came into this game with a great deal of unknowns as the Air Force Academy named a new head coach this past off-season. Those changes trickle down to the Prep School and it left the Badgers feeling a little uneasy as they didn’t exactly know what they might see in week 1. Their offense ran multiple looks all game long, which forced the Badger defense to make a myriad of adjustments on Saturday. Their focus paid off as they held the Huskies to only 197 yards of total offense.

The Badgers also played tremendous against the run as Air Force picked up just 59 yards on 35 attempts, which amounted to a measly 1.69 yards per carry. In addition, Air Force Prep quarterback, Tim Jefferson, completed only 32.5% of his passes.

Sophomore linebacker, Shane Hunter recorded five tackles for loss for the Badgers with defensive end, Coleby Clawson picking up one sack and two quarterback hurries. Andrew Rich recorded six tackles from his safety spot, which saw repeatedly running down ball carriers while Air Force ran their trademark option attack.

Offensively, Jon Eastman completed his first collegiate start with 325 passing yards and three touchdowns while completing 68% of his passing attempts. The Badgers rolled to a total of 507 yards of offense despite seeing penalties and three turnovers slow them down.

“It’s a win, but there are multiple things we can do better as players and coaches. We have a long way to go, but overall I think our guys played hard. We need to eliminate turnovers and penalties. Our communication can improve. Again, we are happy with a win, but not satisfied by any stretch,” said head coach Steve Coburn, now in his second season at the helm.

The Badgers will be in action again this Saturday as they kick off their home schedule versus the Australian Nationals. Game time is set for 10:00 AM at Badger Stadium. The game can be heard locally on 650-KMTI Radio or right here on www.snowbadgers.com.