Shock remain perfect
LUBBOCK, Texas – Spokane is coming home with its spotless arenafootball2 record intact.
The second-ranked Shock got a clutch performance from back-up quarterback Nick Davila and a game-winning 21-yard field goal from Brian Jackson to edge No. 5 Lubbock 43-41 Saturday at City Bank Coliseum.
Davila entered the game early in the fourth quarter after Lubbock had wiped out the Shock’s 33-21 halftime lead. Spokane (5-0) was scoreless on two third-quarter possessions as the Renegades took their first lead 34-33.
On his first possession, Davila went 4 for 4, the last pass covering 9 yards to Raul Vijil for a touchdown. Jackson’s PAT made it 40-34 Shock with 11:39 left.
Lubbock (3-2) drove into Shock territory, but the defense held as Sergio Gilliam, who had his eighth interception earlier in the game, broke up a fourth-down pass.
Spokane had a chance to pad its lead, but a couple of flags, including an unsportsmanlike penalty on head coach Adam Shackleford, pushed the ball back to the Shock’s 2-yard line. On fourth down, Davila was pressured in the pocket and he threw an incomplete pass.
Lubbock quickly reclaimed the lead on a quarterback keeper and Chris Balseiro’s PAT with 53 seconds remaining.
Spokane started its final possession at its 4. After two incomplete passes, Davila hit Vijil on third down for 23 yards and followed that with two connections to Andy Olson for 17 yards. That brought on Jackson, who waited out a Renegades timeout before making a 21-yard field goal with 1 second left.
“I really wasn’t that nervous,” Jackson said in a postgame radio interview on 101.1-FM. “I felt like it was meant to be. I missed a point-after earlier and when you do that you have to let it go.”
Spokane’s defense held Lubbock to 229 total yards. The Renegades entered the game averaging 59.8 points per game.
Vijil finished with 245 all-purpose yards. He scored four touchdowns, one rushing and three receiving. Jason Murrietta was 12 of 24 for 168 yards in his three quarters. Davila was 7 of 14 for 87 yards in the fourth.
Spokane returns home to face Boise (4-1) on Saturday.