HALDEMAN, Ky. (Interstat) — Thomas Schwartz V drilled a 41-yard field goal as time expired to lift Morehead State to a dramatic 23-21 victory over Marist in a Pioneer Football League contest on Saturday at Jayne Stadium.

The Eagles, who led for nearly the entire game, saw their advantage vanish when Marist running back Carter James scored his second touchdown of the day on a 1-yard run with 31 seconds remaining, giving the Red Foxes their first lead at 21-20.

But the ensuing kickoff proved disastrous for Marist. Morehead State’s Sidney Webb returned Connor Mendini’s kick 45 yards to the Marist 35-yard line, and a personal foul penalty on the Red Foxes moved the ball to the Marist 24 with 18 seconds left. After an incomplete pass, Eagles quarterback Carter Cravens connected with Ryan Upp for a 9-yard gain to the Marist 15, setting up Schwartz’s game-winning kick.

The wild finish delivered Morehead State its second win of the season against five losses, while Marist fell to an even 3-3.

The Eagles built their lead methodically. They opened the scoring with a 39-yard Jordan Price field goal in the first quarter and extended their advantage to 10-0 early in the second on a 1-yard touchdown run by Isaac Stopke. A 40-yard field goal from Schwartz just before halftime sent Morehead State into the break with a 13-0 lead.

Marist, held scoreless in the first half, finally found its offensive rhythm in the third quarter. Quarterback Sonny Mannino engineered a 69-yard drive, capping it with a 12-yard touchdown pass to James to cut the deficit to 13-7.

Morehead State responded immediately, with Cravens finding Cannon Dinger for a 15-yard touchdown pass to push the lead back to 20-7. The Red Foxes answered right back, however, as Mannino willed his team down the field and plunged into the end zone from a yard out to make it 20-14 heading into the fourth quarter.

The game appeared to turn decisively in Marist’s favor early in the final period. Morehead State’s Cravens fumbled a snap in his own end zone, and Marist safety Jace Williamson recovered, giving the Red Foxes the ball at the Eagles’ 4-yard line. But the Marist offense stalled, turning the ball over on downs after failing to convert a fourth-and-goal from the 1.

Marist got one final chance late in the fourth and put together a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, culminating in James’ second score, to take the lead and set the stage for the frantic final seconds.

Mannino, the Marist quarterback from Leesburg, Virginia, was the game’s most prolific player, completing 21 of 33 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 49 yards and another score. James was his top weapon, rushing for 67 yards and a touchdown and catching five passes for 61 yards and another score.

For Morehead State, Cravens was efficient, completing 11 of 16 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, and adding 58 rushing yards. Upp was his primary target, hauling in eight catches for 109 yards. Stopke shouldered the rushing load, gaining 88 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Webb’s special teams play was pivotal for the Eagles, as he tallied 120 return yards on four kickoffs, including the crucial final return that set up the winning score.

The result defied the pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 38-35 Morehead State victory and whose ELO system gave the Eagles a 76.7 percent probability to win.

Marist returns to action next Saturday, October 25, to host Drake. Morehead State travels to face Valparaiso the same day.