2010 Salt City Bowl

Blue Dragons cap off
10-win season with win
over EAC Gila Monsters

No. 10 Hutchinson 42, No. 17 Eastern Arizona 21
December 4, 2010
Gowans Stadium, Hutchinson, KS

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The 10th-ranked Blue Dragons capped off one of the most successful seasons in the program’s 79-year history with a 42-21 victory over No. 17 Eastern Arizona in the second-annual Salt City Bowl.

The Blue Dragons finished with a 10-2 record, marking the first 10-win season since 1995 and the fifth in program history.

Hutchinson won its second-straight Salt City Bowl and the program’s third-straight bowl victory, the first time in school history that HCC has reeled off three-straight bowl victories.

Hutchinson fell behind 7-0 after Eastern Arizona’s second play of the game. The Blue Dragons answered with 21 unanswered points and led by 14 after one quarter. The Gila Monsters made it a one-possession game with 9 minutes to play in the second quarter, but the Dragons again responded with two unanswered touchdowns to take control.

Eastern Arizona outgained Hutchinson 391-217 and had possession of the ball more than 10 minutes longer than HCC. But the Blue Dragons used superior special teams and a defense that forced five turnovers to maintain its advantage throughout the game.

HCC held the nation’s top rushing team to 250 yards, some 116 yards under the Gila Monsters’ season average. Rashon Evans, the ninth-leading rusher in the country was limited to 33 yards on 11 carries.

The game’s offensive MVP was freshman receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who earned that trophy more from his exploits on special teams, which had a major effect on the outcome.

Patterson had 165 all-purpose yards. He had two punt returns for 126 yards, including an 80-yard return for a touchdown – his third return for a TD this season – that gave Hutch a 21-7 first-quarter lead.

Patterson also had a 49-yard kickoff return to open the second half that set up a  score. Patterson added another 46-yard punt return.

HCC had 217 total yards (199 rushing, 18 passing) and turned the ball over only once. HCC was 5 of 5 in red-zone scoring opportunities.

Freshman quarterback Elliott Alford was HCC’s leading rusher with 87 yards on 15 carries and two rushing touchdowns. Alford completed 4 of 6 passes for 18 yards. Freshman Derek Campbell had 48 rushing yards on nine carries with one touchdown. Sophomore Angelo Pease had 37 yards on 10 carries and a score. Sophomore Jamal Womble had 35 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown.

Eastern Arizona quarterback Cody Von Appen had 18 rushes for 87 yards to lead the Gila Monsters (8-4). Von Appen also completed 7 of 14 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. He was picked off twice by HCC sophomore cornerback Dorrian Roberts.

HCC’s defensive charge was led by defensive MVP, linebacker Chip Hester who had 17 total tackles. Linebacker Bradley Gallon had 14 tackles and one fumble recovery. Linebacker Markus Golden had 11 tackles, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Garrett Brinkmeyer also had a fumble recovery and eight tackles.

Eastern Arizona grabbed a 7-0 with 12:42 to play when Von Appen fooled the Dragon defense with a great play-action fake and found Evans wide open for a 56-yard touchdown pass.

The Blue Dragons answered with a nine-play, 80-yard drive – all 80 yards on the ground – capped off by Pease’s 1-yard plunge to tie the game at 7-all with 8:59 to go. Two possessions later, Patterson broke loose on his 80-yard punt return for a 14-7 Dragon lead with 2:34 to play. HCC then cashed in a Gallon’s fumble return at the Gila Monster 18. Alford made it 21-7 Hutchinson with an 18-yard touchdown run.

The Gila Monsters weren’t done, grinding out a 13-play, 74 yard march that took 6 minutes, 47 seconds. Von Appen scored from 1 yard out on third-and-goal to cut the Dragon lead to 21-14. After being held on downs, the Dragons got the ball right back on a Roberts’ interception at the EAC 41. Five plays later Alford scored from 10 yards out for a 28-14 lead with 3:52 to go in the first half.

After Patterson’s 49-yard return to open the second half gave Hutchinson the ball at the Gila Monster 44, the Dragons took eight players to score, getting a 2-yard touchdown run from Campbell for a 35-14 lead.

Eastern Arizona cashed in on a Hutchinson fumble and cut the lead to 35-21 on Von Appen’s second rushing touchdown of the game, also from 1 yard out, with 45 seconds to play in the third quarter.

HCC had a short field for its final touchdown, which covered 19 yards and was capped by Womble’s 1-yard touchdown run with 5:24 to play.