Cameron Stevens lined up for a 44-yard field goal in the closing minutes of a tied game Saturday afternoon but never planned on actually kicking the ball.
The University of Findlay intended to run a fake on fourth down and two from the Northern Michigan 27, but in the blink of an eye, the plan changed.
"Coach decided to change the play at the last second," Stevens said. "I didn't have time to think about it. I just put it through the uprights."
Stevens' kick barely cleared the crossbar, but when it did, the announced crowd of 1,154 let out a collective sigh of relief as the Oilers escaped with a 9-6 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over the Wildcats on a cold and windy October afternoon at Donnell Stadium.
Stevens is UF's all-time field goal leader with 31 and felt confident that the kick would be on target. But even the junior from Orlando, Fla., had to take a second look at his kick, which kept UF in NCAA Division II playoff contention.
"I didn't like the way I had kicked it but I felt like it was going to be good," Stevens said. "It's the first time I've made a game-winner. This allows us to take another step forward in trying to make the playoffs."
The Oilers (7-2, 6-2 GLIAC) are now in a three-way tie for second place in the conference with Saginaw Valley State (7-2, 6-2) and Hillsdale (7-2, 6-2).
SVSU defeated Michigan Tech 38-28 and HC blasted Wayne State 45-14. UF and SVSU play next Saturday at Wickes Memorial Stadium in Saginaw, Mich.
As great as Stevens was under pressure, the win would not have been possible without another gutsy effort by the UF defense.
The Oilers were on their heels as NMU (5-3, 5-3) marched into the red zone early in the fourth quarter behind the play of quarterback Carter Kopach.
The sophomore signal-caller ran seven yards on third-and-7 from the 17 but the ball came loose as he stretched for an extra yard.
Linebacker Joe Knopick (team-high 15 tackles) recovered the ball as UF came up with its third turnover of the game.
Findlay came into the game fifth in the nation in turnover margin (plus 12) and NMU was 1-of-3 inside the 20 after coming into the game with 23 red-zone TDs.
"Our red zone defense is something we've leaned on all year and we leaned on it again today," UF head coach Jon Wauford said. "There was no quit in those guys. They fought until the end."
With the momentum back in their favor and eight minutes still on the clock, the Oilers turned to senior running back Melvin Jackson.
Jackson picked up 96 yards on 18 carries, with 38 coming on the game-winning drive.
There was a time when Jackson's football future was in doubt. He was suspended for two games in September for violating athletic department policy but has come back to make the most of his second chance.
On this day, especially on that final drive, he looked every bit like a senior playing as if there is no tomorrow.
"This means so much because football was almost taken away from me," Jackson said. "I've been motivated ever since I've come back and I'm thankful the coaches trust me enough to put the ball in my hands. I ran with confidence and owe credit to the offensive line. Those guys were on a mission in the second half and opened up holes for myself and Monterae (Williams)."
Williams added 69 yards on 15 carries while quarterback Andrew Beam had a tough outing under center, going just 11-of-26 for 67 yards.
While the Oilers rolled up just 269 yards and were a mere 6-of-18 on third-down conversions, Wauford had no complaints.
"You are talking to a defensive coach. I thought the game was a thing of beauty," Wauford said. "For my money, the two best defenses in the conference were on the field today."
UF led 3-0 on a 19-yard field goal by Stevens at the start of the second quarter but Kopach led the Wildcats into the end zone on the ensuing drive when he capped a 14-play drive with a 1-yard run.
The highlight of the drive was Kopach's 27-yard throw on fourth-and-12 from the UF 36. He eluded a sack attempt by UF's John Williams and then hooked up with Kyle Senn.
The extra point attempt, though, was missed and NMU led 6-3 at halftime. Stevens tied the game on a 24-yard kick with 8:20 to play in the third period.
Kopach was 14-of-28 passing for 159 yards and was sacked five times.
NMU finished with 233 yards, its lowest point total of the season and had only 49 second-half yards.
The Oilers, who have seven wins for the first time since 2002, will go into Saturday's game at Saginaw Valley with a chance to increase their postseason odds.
SVSU is currently ranked third in Super Region 3 and UF is ninth. The top six teams make the playoffs.
"It's a huge opportunity for our team," Jackson said. "We're going to soak in this victory tonight and then start preparing for Saginaw on Sunday."
Northern Michigan 0 6 0 0 -- 6
Findlay 0 3 3 3 -- 9
Second Quarter
UF -- FG Stevens 19
NM -- Kopach 1 run (kick failed)
Third Quarter
UF -- FG Stevens 24
Fourth Quarter
UF -- FG Stevens 44
NMU UF
First Downs 12 16
Rushes-yards 38-74 43-202
Passing Yards 159 67
Comp-Att-Int 14-28-0 11-26-0
Punts-Avg. 5-39.0 7-35.7
Fumbles-Lost 3-3 0-0
Penalties-Yards 4-50 6-68
individual statistics
rushing -- Northern Michigan, Bossuah 17-47, Smith 7-22, Wallace 4-9, Kopach 10-(minus 4). Findlay, Jackson 18-96, M. Williams 15-69, Beam 6-33, Zielaskiewicz 1-7, Team 3-(-3).
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