Woodall Begins Head Coaching Career 1-0 After Win at NEO

MIAMI, Okla. – Butler football head coach Kyle Woodall and the No. 13 Butler Grizzlies take down Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 27-20 in Woodall's head coaching debut.

With the win, the Grizzlies begin the season 1-0 and avenge last season's stunning season opening loss to NEO. 

On a night where NEO led almost every statistical category over the No.13 ranked Butler Grizzlies, Butler still ended the night victorious.

Butler's first drive of the game started off with a bang when the Grizzlies sophomore running back Markellus Bass broke through the line and converted a 31-yard rush. Five plays later, BYU transfer and Overland Park, Kansas native Dylan Dunn completed a 13-yard strike to sophomore Nolan Chambers for a touchdown for the first score of the season for the Grizzlies. 

With 13:45 to go in the first half, NEO's Carson Cooksey completed a 48-yard deep ball to Antojuan Woody to tie things up 7-7. 

On the final drive of the first half, Grizzlies redshirt-freshman kicker Hunter Rioux drilled a 45-yard field goal as time expired to put the Grizzlies ahead 10-7 heading into the break. 

NEO's first drive in the second half was a six play 67-yard drive capped off by a 34-yard touchdown run by Qwontrel Walker to retake the lead over the Grizzlies 14-10. From this point, the Norsemen never led again. 

With 2:49 to go in the third quarter, the Grizzlies retook the lead after true freshman running back Jeremiah Singleton got his first collegiate touchdown after a 2-yard run to put the Grizzlies up 17-14. The drive was set up by a 47-yard completion from Dylan Dunn to Nakai Poole. 

On the ensuing possession, NEO marched down the field but were ultimately forced to settle for a field goal attempt on fourth and goal from the three-yard line, when the unthinkable happened. The field goal was blocked by Grizzlies redshirt-freshman Zayden-Laing Taylor and recovered by Tieon Jones and took it all the way back for an 83-yard scoop and score to extend the Grizzlies lead 24-14 with 11:08 to go in the game. 

NEO's next possession was a 12-play, 86-yard drive capped off by a Qwontrel Walker five-yard rushing touchdown. The extra point attempt was no good after NEO botched the snap and fumbled the ball. The Grizzlies lead 24-20 with 5:42 remaining on the clock. 

On the ensuing possession for the Grizzlies, they were stopped on third down and were forced to punt the ball back to NEO.

With 2:24 remaining in the game, and on their own 24-yard line, NEO had a chance to go down the field and win the game. On fourth down and three, NEO completed a two-yard pass and were short of the first down and gave the ball back to the Grizzlies. 

The Grizzlies chewed up as much time as they could and forced NEO to use all three of their timeouts on the next possession. On fourth and eight, Hunter Rioux knocked in another field goal, this time from 35 out, to extend the Grizzlies lead 27-20 with 44 seconds to go. 

NEO's final drive of the game ended on fourth and three when the Norsemen mistakenly spiked the ball on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Grizzlies. With no timeouts remaining for NEO, the Grizzlies kneeled out the clock, giving first year head coach Kyle Woodall his first career win as the head man for Butler, 27-20. 

Freshman quarterback Dylan Dunn finished the night with six of 10 passing for 77 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore running back Markellus Bass led the Grizzlies on the ground with 20 carries for 95 yards. 

Justyce Betts led the Grizzlies defense with 10 total tackles. Ozzy Poage added nine total tackles and one tackle for loss. 

Butler had 201 total yards of offense, 124 of them on the ground. The Grizzlies committed seven penalties and had one fumble lost on the night. 

NEXT UP: The Grizzlies are off this week but return to the gridiron on September 13^th when they host Ellsworth (Iowa) at 7 p.m. for their home debut at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex in El Dorado, Kan.