As soon as DL Knock received the kickoff at the 1-yard line, he sprinted forward to the 25-yard line, took a swift and sharp cut inside, and raced up the field. 99 yards. Touchdown.
22 seconds.
On the first play from scrimmage after Knock's return, Evan Croutch read the eyes of the Howard quarterback and followed him as he rolled out. He took a few steps forward and grabbed the ball. Interception.
Seven seconds.
The game changed in 29 seconds. Four plays after the interception, Ohio punched in a touchdown. The two seamless plays at the start of the third quarter overshadowed the quarterback controversy as the Bobcats took back the lead and defeated Howard 38-32 at Peden Stadium.
“I just went out there, caught the ball and ran,” Knock said. “I caught the ball. Saw the kicker stuck right, so I went left. My 4.7 40 (yard-dash). Our job as returners (is) to bring a little boost to the team.”
A boost it was. It was quick, but it was clinical. Knock just swept up the Ohio sideline. No blocks in the back, just clean blocking and a path that ended in the end zone. Up until that point the Bobcats looked sluggish, out of sorts and anxious. There was no flow to the offense or defense, but in just one play it all changed.
“I never thought I’d have to run 100 yards in my life,” Knock said.
The momentum swing wasn’t over yet. Croutch caught the ball and was pushed out of bounds on the Ohio sideline. Players, coaches and support staff ran over in one big push to him. Croutch was jumping up and down, he didn’t stop until so many players were on him that he couldn’t. Javon Hagan — who sat out due to an undisclosed injury — sprinted for the first time in a couple weeks to hand him the gold turnover belt.
“The defense did a great job of getting a turnover right after that (kickoff),” quarterback Quinton Maxwell said. “It was a weird transition. We were ready to go back in, but the defense sped that up. It was big in a timely way.”
There’s no doubt that those 29 seconds changed the outcome of the game. It gave the entire team momentum, and it was a fast and easy 14 points. It made way for the first win of the year and made sure Ohio wouldn’t be the talk of the college football world.
