NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tyler Wilke normally stands away from his teammates during a game.

Generally, the junior kicker can be found practicing his kicks or standing on the sidelines while the Panthers offensive and defensive units huddle on their respective benches

Most of the Panthers chose to stay away and not even talk to Wilke with only three seconds left in Saturday’s game against Tennessee State.

This was before Wilke jogged out near TSU’s 20-yard line with the game tied at 35.

But everybody wanted to celebrate with him after the game.

Wilke’s 30-yard field goal went straight down the middle as time expired to give Eastern a 38-35 win against the Tigers.

The 6-foot-4, 194-pound Wilke said from the moment he struck the ball, he knew it was good.

“I looked up, saw it and took off running,” Wilke said. “While we were sitting on the sidelines and it started to tick down, I was like, ‘Man, how do I want to celebrate this after I make it?’ That was the first thing that came to my mind. I just took off running. That’s what all the other kickers do.”

The win keeps Eastern’s hopes alive for a Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth. The Panthers (6-3, 5-1 Ohio Valley Conference) currently sit alone in second place behind league leader Eastern Kentucky (7-2, 6-0).

Wilke had made four of his nine field goal attempts coming into Saturday, the lowest field goal percentage of any OVC kicker. Wilke’s game-winning kick at LP Field, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, was his only successful field goal attempt of four in Eastern’s last four games.

“Maybe it’s the pro goalposts. It was a great kick under a lot of pressure,” said Eastern head coach Bob Spoo. “Kickers – they don’t get a lot of recognition, but when you come through like that, it’s big time.”

Freshman punter Kevin Cook, holder on the kick, said he doesn’t even remember putting the ball down because his adrenaline was so high.

“I do it so many times every day in practice, that it’s just ‘Catch it; put it down,'” he said.

The Panthers final drive started on their own 36 with 3:48 left to play. The Panthers led 35-28 before Terrence Wright’s two-yard touchdown run tied the game at 35.

Eastern moved into TSU territory after its first play, a 17-yard run from wide receiver John Gadson. A key block from junior fullback Trent Steckel keyed Gadson’s ability to get upfield before being tackled at TSU’s 47.

After two straight runs by senior running back Ademola Adeniji set up a 3rd-and-2 on TSU’s 39, Adeniji ran 10 yards up the middle for the first down.

Wilke, whose career long is from 45 yards out, had told offensive coordinator Jorge Munoz at the beginning of the drive that Eastern would be within his range if the Panthers got to TSU’s 30.

Munoz said because the Panthers were successful with the run on their final drive, he just stuck with it in his play calling.

“When we first initially started the drive, we were thinking, ‘Go down and score (a touchdown,'” he said. “We started getting some positive yards there and didn’t feel like we had to throw it just yet. That’s what forced us going into the field goal, was being so successful in the run.”

After Steckel’s three-yard run up the middle on 3rd-and-1 put the Panthers at TSU’s 17, Reeder handed off to Adeniji and junior running back Travorus Bess on the next two plays. Bess’ two-yard run kept the Panthers in the middle of the field, setting up Wilke’s heroics.

Wilke’s kick ruined TSU’s chances to come back after giving away its early lead.

Thanks to two interception returns for touchdowns by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Marquez Hall in the first half, the Tigers led 21-7 with 14:41 left in the second quarter. Rodgers-Cromartie picked off Eastern sophomore quarterback Bodie Reeder’s pass, which was intended for senior wide receiver Micah Rucker at his own 31. He ran 69 yards down the right side of the field for a touchdown with nine minutes left in the first quarter.

Hall intercepted a pass intended for Bess at his own 22 early in the second quarter.

After cutting back toward midfield around the 50, he went untouched down the left side of the field for a 78-yard touchdown return.

“The thing we knew we had to do was take Rucker out of the game,” TSU head coach James Webster said. “Getting the two interceptions, bringing them back for touchdowns – that was big. I think it made them cut back on their passing game.”

But later in the second quarter, the Panthers added two rushing touchdowns, a one-yard run by Steckel and a 39-yard run by Bess, to tie the game at 21 going into halftime. After Reeder’s second interception, Eastern ran the ball on its final 17 plays of the first half. Adeniji finished with 155 yards on 30 carries, while Bess countered with 127 yards on 15 carries. Reeder, who threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Rucker to give Eastern an early 7-0 lead, finished 8-of-15 for only 63 yards.

“As long as we continue to turn the ball over, I think they’re going to be close games,” Spoo said. “The kids just hung in there again, kept playing, played hard, and made plays when they counted.”

Senior kicker Tyler Wilke kicks the winning field goal to end the game vs. Tennessee State Saturday evening at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn. Amir Prellberg/The Daily Eastern News

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