Coe gets 1st home win since '07 (with video)

CEDAR RAPIDS - They stormed out of their locker room at Clark Field, a whooping and a hollering as usual after a victory. But instead of milling around and chatting with friends and family, Coe's football players took off galloping back toward campus.

They weren't being rude. Someone decided it would be cool to go ring a large bell that's on the First Avenue NE campus.

This 9-7 season-opening victory over Augustana (Ill.) was bell worthy. It was Coe's first at home in over a year and wasn't cinched until Augustana botched a 23-yard field-goal attempt with seven seconds left.

“The last couple of years, we've walked away from games like this on the losing side,” said Coe linebacker Tate Harrison. “It's finally good to have one go our way.”

Harrison said he almost couldn't watch, as Augustana kicker Ryan Gibbons lined up in the middle of the field to boot what amounted to a glorified extra point. The center snap was a bit low and holder Kyle Hundman couldn't hold it, the ball squirting away, with a Coe player falling on it with a second left.

A quarterback kneel, and Coe had its first win at Clark Field since beating Cornell in the 2007 season finale. The Kohawks went 0-5 at home last season, dropping games by two, six, eight and nine points.

“It's huge,” said running back Sam Hammes. “Anytime you start off a year with a loss, you get down on yourself ... Getting a win in that first game, it just gives you a better outlook on the whole year.”

“We kind of weathered the storm,” said Coe Coach Steve Staker. “We actually weathered the storm the whole game.”

Quarterback Brad Boyle (who completed 25 of 32 passes for 207 yards) threw a 1-yard TD pass to Nick Ratchford that gave Coe a 6-0 first-quarter lead, with a bad center snap preventing an extra-point kick. Jake Parke's 6-yard TD run late in the third and a Gibbons extra point gave Augie a 7-6 edge.

Coe responded on the ensuing possession with an Elliot Rausa 26-yard field goal. After a short punt, Augustana took over on its final possession at the Coe 38, with a 23-yard fourth-down pass play taking the ball to the 11.

A running play took it to the 6, Augie called timeout and set up to kick.

“I was saying a little prayer,” Hammes said. “I was down on one knee and not looking. I kind of had a good feeling about it.”

“I was hoping for a bad snap,” Harrison smiled.

He got it, and Coe could ring its bell.

 Here's video of Harrison talking about his team's victory: