Last-minute drive ends with interception, leaving C-SC football team with loss in season opener

YANKTON, S.D. — Houston Swan nearly engineered a drive to remember Saturday night.

Instead, the Culver-Stockton College football team has to figure out how to regroup.

Forced into action when C-SC starting quarterback Brock Nellor was ejected after receiving a second unsportsmanlike penalty, Swan, the redshirt freshman backup quarterback, took the reins of the offense with the Wildcats trailing Mount Marty by five points and 2:30 remaining in regulation.

Swan connected with Isaiah Eppinger for a 13-yard gain on fourth and 10 to kickstart the drive from the C-SC 25-yard line. A 14-yard completion to Byron Fischer and a 13-yard scramble by Swan got the ball to the Mount Marty 35-yard line with 56 seconds to play.

The Lancers called timeout, and Swan threw an incompletion to the end zone. On the next play, Mount Marty’s Josiah Gaianti intercepted Swan at the 5-yard line, cementing the Lancers’ 28-23 victory in the season opener at Crane-Youngworth Stadium.

C-SC took the lead in the fourth quarter when Nellor scored on a 2-yard run with 11:38 to play. 

In the third quarter, Nellor scrambled for a 2-yard gain on third and goal from the 9-yard line, leading to a C-SC field goal. However, at the end of the play, he was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for something he said after handing the ball to the official.

After scoring in the fourth quarter, Nellor threw the ball in the air and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, which led to his ejection.

In his first start at C-SC, the redshirt sophomore transfer from Trinity Valley Community College completed 10 of 20 passes for 109 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Nellor also had nine carries for 46 yards and a touchdown.

Swan picked up one first down on his first series under center, scrambling for 19 yards on third and 10, and threw the interception on his final play. He completed 2 of 8 passes for 27 yards and had three carries for 31 yards.

C-SC outgained Mount Marty 384-344 in total offense while rushing for 248 yards. However, the Wildcats were flagged for 11 penalties for 82 yards with five of those penalties extending possessions for the Lancers.