MIAMI — Unable to put any points on the scoreboard the entire second half, Northeastern A&M College dropped a 21-14 Southwest Junior College Football Conference decision to the Kilgore College Rangers Saturday afternoon at Red Robertson Field.
Playing typical slobber-knocker football between Oklahoma and Texas rivalries, the loss dropped the Golden Norsemen to 1-2 in the conference and 3-3 on the season.
NEO returns to the road for a 3 p.m. SWJCFC contest next Saturday with the Navarro College Bulldogs in Corsicana, Texas.
Coach J.J. Eckert's Rangers are 1-2 in the league and 3-3 overall.
After deferring the coin toss to the second half, the Rangers defense stifled the Golden Norse defense on the opening series.
Forced to punt, the Golden Norse were ticketed with two consecutive 15-yard penalties that kept Kilgore's offense on the field for their first possession.
The Rangers needed 13 plays plus the two penalties to cover 67 yards for their first score.
Freshman tight end Jarod Wood caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cameron Martin to end the drive. Troy Duran kicked the point-after with 7:54 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
With time running out in the quarter, the Wood-to-Martin combination clicked again on a 27-yard touchdown pass. Duran added the PAT for a 14-0 lead as time expired.
The play concluded a 50-yard, eight-play drive set up after the Rangers recovered a muffed fumbled punt return by NEO.
Sophomore quarterback Mack Waldman replaced starter Zac Cater in the second quarter and ignited NEO's passing game.
Waldman completed passes of 18 yards to Mike'Quan Deane and 12 yards to Khalil Warren to ignite a 58-yard, six-play scoring drive.
Cameron Booty concluded the drive with a 2-yard TD run. Gabriel Rui kicked the extra point at the 8:38 juncture for a 14-7 deficit.
NEO needed only four plays to cover 64 yards on their next possession.
Waldman found wide out Gary McKnight Jr. on a 47-yard pass play that ended at the Kilgore 13-yard line.
Two plays later freshman Willie Jordan busted up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown run with 1:42 until intermission. Rui's point-after forged a 14-14 tie.
Kilgore drove to the NEO 27-yard line before the Golden Norse defense forced a three-and-out series.
Duran attempted a 43-yard field goal with one tick left on the clock, but NEO 6-5 defensive tackle Isaiah Johnson swatted the kick away as the gun sounded.
During the first six minutes of the third quarter, Waldman went to the bench following back-to-back interceptions by Kilgore linebacker Michael Jackson.
The second pick by Jackson gave the Rangers the ball at the NEO 17-yard line.
After five runs by either Martinez Syria or Kyle McBride moved the ball to the Norse 3-yard line, the Martin-to-Wood combination clicked for a touchdown pass with 8:22 showing on the clock. Duran's point-after gave Kilgore a 21-14 lead.
Neither team could add points to the scoreboard in the final 22 minutes.
The Golden Norsemen managed only 84 total yards on the ground for the game after gaining 61 yards in the first half.
Booty rushed for 47 yards on 16 carries while Jesse Gregory added 42 yards on nine attempts to lead NEO's meager rushing game.
Waldman connected on 9 of 17 passes for 128 yards with two interceptions while Cater completed 6 of 17 passes for 44 yards.
Shannon Smith led the NEO receiving corps with five catches for 43 yards while McKnight contributed four receptions for 67 yards and Warren had three catches for 37 yards.
While the Golden Norse offense managed only 256 total yards, NEO's defense limited Kilgore to a mere 225 total yards.
Syria led the Rangers ground game with 59 yards on 23 carries while Damion Collins added 43 yards on 14 attempts.
Martin completed 17 of 24 passes for 115 yards without an interception. Collins misfired on one passing attempt.
Wood caught seven passes for 60 yards and all three Ranger TDs. Collins finished with seven receptions for 33 yards.