GALESBURG, Illinois – The Prairie Fire won a 26-23 thriller against Eureka College in the third annual Lincoln Bowl game Saturday on Stisser Field at the Knosher Bowl.

The Red Devils led 17-6 in the fourth quarter, but the Prairie Fire made key plays on both sides of the football and outscored Eureka 20-6 over the final six minutes of the contest.  The game-winner was a 2-yard touchdown run by first-year quarterback Matt Mc Caffrey (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) on a do or die final play that capped an 11-play, 90-yard drive in under 90 seconds, allowing Knox to hoist the Lincoln Bowl trophy for the first time in the three-year old rivalry game.

Knox snapped a three game slide against Eureka and improved to 17-7-1 in the all-time series and 11-4 at home against the Red Devils.

While the second half featured a combined 46 points scored, neither team found the end zone through the first two quarters. Eureka finally broke the ice with a 31-yard field goal 16 seconds before halftime to take a slim 3-0 lead into the break.

The Red Devils extended their lead to 10-0 on an 8-yard touchdown run with 13:34 left in the third quarter.  The Prairie Fire got on the board six minutes later on a 26-yard run by first-year tailback Terry White (Hillsdale, IL, Riverdale).  Knox was unable to convert on the extra point attempt and trailed 10-6.

The Red Devils grabbed their biggest lead of the game with just under two minutes to go in the third stanza on a 13-yard pass play for a touchdown to go up 17-6.

Knox began its run of 20 fourth quarter points when Mc Caffrey hooked up with junior wide receiver Mathew Hemmingsen (Galesburg, IL, Carl Sandburg College) for a 28-yard touchdown.  A two-point conversion run by White cut the Eureka lead to 17-14 with 5:53 remaining.

The Prairie Fire took their first lead, 20-17, on another quick strike – a 46-yard touchdown reception by senior tight end Ryan Schulz (Abingdon, IL, Abingdon) – at the 4:30 mark of the final quarter.

Eureka reclaimed the lead, 23-20, on a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:30 on the clock, setting up the improbable comeback by Knox.

The Prairie Fire were flagged for a penalty on the kickoff by the Red Devils and were forced to start the drive on their own 10 yard line with 1:25 to go.

Mc Caffrey, looking like a poised veteran, used his arm and his legs to drive Knox all the way down the field to the Eureka 2-yard line.  Following an incomplete pass to set up second and goal from the Eureka 2, Mc Caffrey followed his blockers into the end zone on the final play of the game to win it.

The Prairie Fire had 349 yards of total offense while holding Eureka to 246.  Knox passed for 192 and ran for 157 while allowing the Red Devils 162 yards passing and only 84 on the ground.  The Prairie Fire were also 6-of-16 on third down conversions and 2-of-3 on fourth down.  The Knox defense held Eureka to 2-of-11 on third downs.

Mc Caffrey completed 16-of-26 passes for 192 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions for the Prairie Fire.  Hemingsen caught four passes for 80 yards and junior Ilir Emini (Yorkville, IL, Yorkville) had eight receptions for 50 yards.  White and senior Adam Brooking (Oswego, IL, Oswego) combined for 115 yards on the ground – 69 by White and 46 by Brooking – in 31 attempts.

Knox senior defensive back Nick Bock (Twin Lakes, WI, Antioch), first-year linebacker J P Mosele (Northbrook, IL, New Trier), and senior defensive back Will Ruzicka (St. Louis, MO, St. Mary's) led the defense with six tackles each.  Bock (one sack) and Ruzicka both forced a fumble, and senior defensive back Armand Stricklin (Lee's Summit, MO, Lee's Summit West) had a pivotal interception that he ran back 71 yards to set up the offense in good field position.

Video of game-winning touchdown.

Photos from 2014 Lincoln Bowl

The Prairie Fire resume play next Saturday, September 13, at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota at 1:00 p.m.  The game will be streamed live online at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/carleton.portal