ASU goes 98 yards for victory
TODD TRAUBARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
JONESBORO -- It seemed to third-string Arkansas State quarterback Tommy Miller like he had been waiting his whole life for the moment that came his way Saturday afternoon.
But the wait was worth it.
Miller came off the bench to direct a last-minute, 98-yard drive as Arkansas State beat Idaho 34-31 before a crowd of 8,723 at Indian Stadium.
"I can't put it in words. This is the best feeling of my life," said Miller, a redshirt junior and former walk-on who replaced Elliot Jacobs with 7:03 left and the Indians on their 2.
Twelve plays later, Miller plunged in from the Idaho 1 with 1:38 left to vault ASU (2-5, 2-1) into the thick of the Sun Belt Conference race and help Coach Joe Hollis decide on a starting quarterback seven games into the season.
"I'm going to make an announcement today that Tommy will start against Middle Tennessee State," Hollis said afterward. "From a head coach's standpoint, I can't be outvoted."
Miller, who played only on special teams last year, saw fourth-quarter action in last week's 45-0 loss to North Texas. Otherwise, he hadn't taken a snap in a game since his high school days at Mountain Home.
He stepped in for Jacobs, a true freshman who had a 67-yard touchdown pass in the first half. But Jacobs was ineffective after Idaho took a 31-27 lead on John Welsh's 5-yard pass to Rossi Martin with 9:03 left in the third quarter. Miller was 4 of 5 on the drive for 51 yards, including a 13-yard completion to Alvin Powell to the Idaho 1 that set up his game-winning plunge.
Hollis had been playing Jacobs and true freshman Josh Driscoll until Driscoll was lost last week with a season-ending broken collarbone. Hollis' choices were clearer after Miller's effort Saturday.
"What an amazing story," Hollis said. "Tommy Miller, coach's son, walk-on, played on special teams last year, third-team quarterback behind two true freshmen, still prepared every week, still kept his chin up, got an opportunity and our team rallied behind him."
But the game wasn't over after Miller's score. ASU still had to stop the Vandals (0-8, 0-4), who brought the Sun Belt's second-best offense, ranked No. 18 in the nation, into the game.
Linebacker Tyshon Reed deflected John Welsh's pass and linebacker Les Echols intercepted and returned the ball 2 yards to the Indians' 40 with 1:12 left. A 10-yard run by Miller for a first down was all ASU needed to run out the clock.
"Just watching the offense drive down there 98 yards and put it in the end zone," Reed said, "that was motivation enough for me."
Miller gave credit to his father, Mountain Home High School Coach Kevin Miller.
"Without a doubt, for as long as I can remember, my dad has prepared me for moments like these," Miller said. "Just being a leader and getting respect, that's a big factor."
"He came in and it was total control in the huddle," receiver James Hickenbotham said. "Everyone had total faith in Tommy."
The Indians doubled last year's victory total and moved into a three-way tie for second in the Sun Belt behind Middle Tennessee, next week's opponent, which rallied to beat New Mexico State on Saturday.
"We're 2-1 in the Sun Belt," Hollis said. "We're halfway through. Anything can happen. All we've got to do is worry about ourself. We go to Middle Tennessee and we know they're a really, really good football team."
Despite its flashy offense averaging 443 yards a game entering the day, Idaho suffered its ninth consecutive loss dating to the 2000 season finale.
The Vandals brought the nation's lowest-rated defense into the game while the offense had its lowest point total of the year.
"When you get them down you've got to finish them," Coach Tom Cable said.
ASU exceeded its average of 15.2 points a game in the first half while the defense had a goal line stand, recovered a touched punt at the Idaho 1 to set up one touchdown and recovered a fumble to prevent another at the end of the half.
But Idaho was able to find the soft spot in Arkansas State's coverage again and again as Welsh passed for 261 yards and two touchdowns in the half and took a 24-20 lead into the locker room.
The lead could have been bigger. After dropping three potential interceptions, ASU finally claimed a crucial turnover when Casey Venters fell on receiver Orlando Winston's fumble at the Indians' 1 with 1:11 left in the half.
This article was published on October 28, 2001
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