Blankenship Totals 5 TD's In Sullivan's 51-27 Win Over Pacific
Sullivan scored two fourth quarter touchdowns within two minutes Friday and killed a Pacific comeback, hanging on 51-27 in a wild Homecoming shootout.
The Eagles (1-4) earned their first victory of the season, but it didn’t come easy.
After scoring just 44 points through the season’s first four games, Sullivan came out on fire. Ethan Krygiel, Carter Dace and Blaine Blankenship all scored touchdowns in the first quarter to give the Eagles a 26-0 lead.
Sullivan went up 38-0 late in the second quarter. Pacific reached the end zone with one second left on the clock when Colton Thompson hit Trevor Hill on a 15-yard touchdown pass.
That started a run of 27 straight points by the Indians, which pulled them within 38-27 early in the fourth quarter.
Two touchdown runs from Blankenship extended Sullivan’s lead and put the game out of reach.
Blankenship ran for three touchdowns and caught two more on a night where the Eagles’ offense amassed 405 yards.
Carter Dace ran for two touchdowns and Ethan Krygiel added one. Dace rushed for 192 yards.
Sullivan committed 19 penalties for 195 yards. Several penalties came on third downs, which extended Pacific drives.
Pacific’s first touchdown was aided by an unnecessary roughing penalty on a third-and-10 pass that went incomplete.
The penalties, untimely turnovers and short punts breathed life into Pacific and made the game interesting in the fourth quarter.
It was a total reversal from the first half.
Sullivan wasted no time getting on the board when Krygiel scored on a 4-yard run with 8:49 to play in the first quarter, set up by an 11-yard run from Levi Hurt. The extra point was no good and Sullivan led 6-0.
Pacific, which didn’t run a single play in Sullivan territory until late in the first half, watched its offense repeatedly get throttled. Pacific went three-and-out on their second drive. Sullivan took over at the Indians 27 and scored in two plays when Dace knifed through the defense for a 26-yard touchdown. The extra point put Sullivan up 13-0.
Sullivan recovered the kickoff and scored one play later when Hurt, who left the game with an injury, hooked up with Blankenship for a 27-yard touchdown pass, giving the Eagles three touchdowns and a 20-0 lead in just two minutes.
Blankenship punched the ball in from four yards out with 2:56 left. The two-point pass was no good and Sullivan went ahead 26-0.
After another unsuccessful Pacific drive, Sullivan marched down field and inside the Indians 20. Hurt hit Trevor Hamblin over the middle, but Hamblin could not hang on to the ball and Pacific intercepted at the first quarter buzzer.
Sullivan stopped the Indians and took over at their own 38. Following a 16-yard completion to Hamblin, Dace rumbled through for a 34-yard touchdown run with 4:40 left in the half. The kick was no good.
The Eagles took over with a little more than two minutes remaining. On a third-and-12, Hurt threw to Blankenship, who caught a low pass and turned the corner, through the Pacific defense. He sprinted for a 47-yard touchdown with 1:49 to go and a 38-0 lead.
Pacific broke up the onslaught when Thompson found Hill in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard score.
The Eagles struggled to gain traction throughout the third quarter due to penalties thwarting drives. When the penalties weren’t taking yards away from the offense, they were giving yards and opportunities to Pacific. Defensive pass interference on a third-and-11 keyed a 62-yard touchdown from Thompson to Trenton Johnson with 3:37 left in the third quarter.
Sullivan fumbled the ball on their next drive, which set Pacific up at the Eagles 20. Thompson connected with Nathan Midkiff on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 2:18 on the clock to slice the lead to 38-20.
The Eagles quickly went three-and-out on the following drive. A short punt gave Pacific possession at the Sullivan 26 to end the third quarter. Thompson again hooked up with Midkiff for a touchdown pass at the 10:50 mark. The extra point made it 38-27.
While the total penalties took its toll on Sullivan’s lead, Pacific committed the game’s most crucial. On a third-and-1, the Indians were whistled for an infraction on a crushing hit to Dace.
Blankenship moved to the back field and carried the load on a pivotal drive. He carried the ball three times for 31 yards and a 4-yard score with 6:13 remaining to push Sullivan’s lead to 45-27.
An interception on the next drive by Cole Stout ripped away Pacific’s last chance to keep the game within striking distance.
Sullivan turned again to Blankenship, who rushed for a 42-yard touchdown on third-and-2, giving the Eagles a critical score and a comfortable lead with 4:27 left.