Poplar Bluff wins in OT

Saturday, September 29, 2007

POPLAR BLUFF -- Poplar Bluff quarterback Todd Bullington scored on a 10-

yard run in the first overtime Friday night to give the Mules their first homecoming win in three years, 27-21.

North County started overtime with the ball but Poplar Bluff senior Austin Sutton intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone on third-and-7 from the 10.

The Mules (3-2) also faced third-and-7 when Bullington plunged in for the winner.

Bullington finished with 118 yards rushing while senior Jarred Osborn ran for 112 yard and two touchdowns for Poplar Bluff, which has a winning record for the first time since 2003.

North County (2-3) scored just 57 seconds into the game when quarterback Derek Gibson hit Chris Horton for a 69-yard touchdown pass.

Gibson threw for 294 yards, completing 16-of-25 passes, including a 25-

yard touchdown pass to Mike Miller that tied the game at 14-14 with 2:37 left in the first half.

Poplar Bluff scored twice in the second quarter to take the lead. Osborn finished a 43-yard drive with his 1-yard dive to tie the game with 9:47 left in the half. Zach Ferguson scored on a 2-yard run to finish a 15-play, 93-yard march that took nearly 6 minutes.

The Mules had the ball for just over 30 minutes in all and finished with a season-high 442 total yards of offense.

Poplar Bluff took a 21-14 lead on Osborn's 2-yard run late in the third quarter, but the two teams traded fumbles on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter and the Raiders took advantage.

The Mules picked up 35 yards when North County muffed a punt, but on the next play Bullington had the ball slip out of his hands and the Raiders recovered on their own 16.

Gibson hit Nebraska-bound Will Compton for a 24-yard pass, then hit Horton for 57 more before Will Swofford tied the game with 6:05 to go.

Poplar Bluff's ensuing drive stalled at the Raiders 24, but the Mules defense forced a three-and-out.

Starting at their own 13, Poplar Bluff got 43 yards from Osborn, but a penalty and three incomplete passes ended the drive at midfield with 15 seconds left.

In overtime, Compton picked up a first down to the 10-yard line but the Mules stopped a double-reverse for no gain and Gibson's pass was knocked down by Ben Knuckles in the end zone. Greg Coble tipped Gibson's next pass to the end zone and Sutton hauled it in for the turnover.

The Mules got runs from fullbacks Aaron Ellis and Kerey Smith, who combined for 113 yards, before Bullington's winning run.

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