December 8th, 2024 8:00am
LSC – Heritage Bowl Recap
In the lead-up to this game, the final LSC game of 2024, I was hoping for two things:
I got the first thing and nearly got the second, but Central Missouri and their award-winning quarterback Zach Zebrowski had other ideas. The Mules came back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime, and time and time and time again Zebrowski, seemingly running for his life on nearly every passing attempt, found his receiver for key plays and ultimately the win.
2024 Heritage Bowl – Central Missouri defeats Texas-Permian Basin 39-37 (2 OT)
In near-perfect conditions for a bowl game (47 degrees and rainy!), it was the UTPB defense who held the advantage for the first three quarters against the high-flying UCM offense. After both teams traded touchdowns in the first two quarters, UTPB took the lead near halftime on a 35-yard pass from Issac Mooring to Deon Cook. However, Angel Diaz had his extra point kick blocked, and the Falcons went into the half up 20-14. Kory Harris (19 carries for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns) would add a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put UTPB up 28-14 with the 2-point conversion, and the Falcons certainly would have to feel pretty good about their chances going into the fourth quarter.
Then the real Zach Zebrowski showed up.
Through three quarters, Zebrowski struggled with both the weather and the UTPB defense, completing 9 of 29 passes for 132 yards and three interceptions (thanks forum user JavsFan for those numbers). But sometimes it isn’t as much that a player as great as Zebrowski is great all the time as much as he’s great when his team needs him to be great. Both UCM and UTPB had the ball twice in the fourth quarter – UTPB went three-and-out and turned the ball over on downs, and UCM went on touchdowns drives of 9 plays and 79 yards and 14 plays and 94 yards, erasing a 28-14 UTPB lead with 35 seconds left to set the stage for overtime. On multiple occasions, Zebrowski used his legs to either extend passing plays or to take off and run himself, as he ultimately accounted for 400 of UCM’s 438 total yards (262 passing and 138 rushing).
In the first overtime, UCM had the ball first and faced fourth down and 7. After being flushed from the pocket, Zebrowski ran around like Burt Reynolds in “The Longest Yard” before finding Michael Fitzgerald at the 9-yard line for a first and goal at the 7-yard line. The drive ultimately led to a field goal from 28 yards out to give UCM a 3-point lead. UTPB ran three plays and lost a yard on their first overtime drive, but Angel Diaz saved the day with a 43-yard field goal to send it to overtime number 2.
In the second overtime, UTPB took the ball first, and Mooring found Deon Cook on a fade route from 12 yards out for a Falcon touchdown. UTPB was then called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, pushing the ball back to the 18-yard line for the mandatory 2-point conversion play, which ultimately failed. On UCM’s possession, a UTPB pass interference penalty gave UCM the ball at the 12-yard line. Zebrowski ran it to the 1-yard line and three more times from the 1 until he finally got in to tie it. No unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for the Mules, who on their 2-point conversion play saw Zebrowski scramble to buy time before finding Derrick Rose (6 catches for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns) in the back of the end zone for the win and earning him the Heritage Bowl’s Most Valuable Player award over (most likely) Mooring, who had a better passing game, throwing for 337 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Central Missouri finishes their 2024 season at 9-3 and Texas-Permian Basin finishes their 2024 season at 7-5.
So that’s it for the 2024 LSC season. While I was hoping an LSC team would still be in the postseason, there were still many high points and a bunch of exciting football, which I’ll cover in the LSC Season Recap, to be posted once the playoffs are done.