The Citadel rallies, wins 22-21 when Charleston Southern misses last-second field goal

Updated Aug. 31, 2024 9:52 p.m. ET

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Garrison Johnson bulled into the end zone from a yard out with 1:55 to play to give Citadel a 22-21 lead with less than two minutes to play and Charleston Southern missed a 44-yard field goal with seconds left in a wild season-opening rivalry game Saturday night.

Second-year coach Maurice Drayton earned his first win as the Bulldogs ended a 19-game losing streak.

The Bulldogs trailed 21-3 after Tyson Greenwade capped a 73-yard drive to open the second half with a 2-yard run. But after that the Buccaneers couldn't hold on.

The Citadel scored on its next two drives, both 1-yard runs, first by Johnathan Bennett and then Johnny Crawford III. In both cases the Bulldogs failed on 2-point conversions.

After another Charleston Southern punt, the Bulldogs marched to the red zone but fumbled the ball away. On the next play, DaVonyae Pettis had a strip sack of Rob McCoy that Chris Benton recovered on the CSU 13, setting up the winning touchdown.

The Buccaneers responded by driving from their 10, after a penalty, to The Citadel 27 but on a second-and-6 play Patrick Fisher-Butler hooked the field-goal attempt left with three seconds left.

Bennett passed for 170 yards and rushed for 55 for The Citadel.

McCoy threw for 290 yards and a touchdown for Charleston Southern and was the leading rusher, netting 40 yards.

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