Hound Dogs Rally for Key Division Win

 [This is a fictional sports article.  Results and Stats are generated by Pro Strategy Football software.]

Chattanooga, Tenn. - The Tennessee Hound Dogs rallied from a 14-0 deficit to claim a thrilling 20-17 overtime win over the Florida Tarpons.

After the Tarpons' Marshal Gray converted on a short 18-yard field goal on their first possession of overtime, the Hound Dogs drove down the field to score the winning touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Richard Lewis to Demetrius Perry.

The Hound Dogs (6-2) not only got the win but also swept the season series with the Tarpons (4-4) to win any potential tiebreakers in the Southeast Division race.  The Hound Dogs won 16-6 in Tampa on September 18th.

"I'm really proud of how our guys came back to win this game," said Hound Dogs' Head Coach Colton Preston.  "We were down but they knew we could get this one back."

Two big plays in the first half put the Hound Dogs in a 14-0 hole.  Tarpons' quarterback Ronald Woodyard found Marcus Reese streaking down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.  Reese later scored on a 44-yard end around run to give Florida a two-score advantage.

"I just told the guys that we gave up two big plays and we needed to go out in the second half and get them back," Preston said.  "We didn't make any big adjustments.  It was that we needed to get back to doing what we do on offense and don't give up the big play on defense."

The Hound Dogs came out after halftime and drove 75 yards on eight plays.  Lewis was 3-of-4 on the drive and finished it with an eight-yard scamper around the right end when he faked a pass and rolled into the end zone.  

It took the Hound Dogs needing a tying score in their final drive in regulation to send the game to overtime.  Lewis hit Jonathan Byrd on a screen pass then Byrd did the rest as he eluded defenders to bull his way into the end zone from 15 yards out.  David Coutee converted on the extra point to tie the game at 14 with 53 seconds left in regulation.

Florida elected to take the ball first in overtime.  A key pass interference penalty against the Hound Dogs' set up the Tarpons with first-and-goal inside the 10 but the Tennessee defense stiffened denying Woodyard's run from the 1 on third down.  Gray made the field goal to put the Tarpons ahead 17-14.  On the Hound Dogs' possession, Byrd's 30-yard burst on a 3rd-and-8 on the Hound Dogs' 44 extended their drive and then facing another third down at the Florida 11, Lewis found Perry in the end zone for the game winner.

"D (Demetrius Perry) got some separation on his cover so I put the ball where only he could get it and he got there," Lewis said.  "We wanted to score the TD there and not have to tie it with a field goal.  We wanted to end it there."

End it they did as the Hound Dogs sent a near sellout crowd in Chattanooga into a frenzy with the touchdown.

The win also keeps the Hound Dogs in the playoff race with the North Carolina Copperheads who lost their game to Alabama on Monday. 

Tennessee travels to Columbia, South Carolina next week to take on the Skyhawks.   The Hound Dogs won the previous meeting 31-6.