The Vandals lost to the San Manual Miners 34-14 on Oct. 19, in a game that turned on the control of the air. San Manuel passed 20 times, with only seven of the passes incomplete. The Vandals got few complete passes in, while holding their own on the ground especially in the first half.

The Miners elected to kick off in the first half, and the Vandals worked their way by a couple of first downs on the ground until they stalled out on the Miner 46. The Miners got the ball and marched down the field. They threw two incomplete passes and one complete as they converted on three downs until they got to the Vandal five-yard line. The Vandal line held for 1 play, but the Miner Quarterback threw a pass as he was being sacked that connected for a touchdown. A Miner ran far side and dove into the end zone for the 2 extra points. Score 8-0 for the Miners.

The Vandals didn’t take long to retaliate. Raymond Galvan caught the kickoff on the 23, ran it back a bit as the Vandals started their campaign on their own 27. Ryan Powell kept the ball, and then Luke Olvera carried to for a first on the 39. After Powell took the ball to the 45, he kept again for a first and ten on the Miner 45. From there, freshman, Justin Cooke took the ball into the end zone for the first Vandal touchdown and the score stood at 8-8.

The Vandals kicked off and were able to force the Miners to punt in four downs and set up shop on their own 35. Olvera took the ball across the 50-yard divide to a first and ten on the Miner 47, and after an incomplete pass, he continued, trailing tacklers down to the 23-yard-line. A fumble set them back to the 34, but a quarterback keeper got them to the 19 from where their drive stalled.

Taking over the ball on their own 15-yard-line, the Miners promptly fumbled, and Ryan Powell just as promptly carried the ball from the 10-yard-line into the end zone. The attempt at extra points failed. Score 14-8, Vandals.

However, the Miners took over from where the Vandal kick-off went out of bounds on their 41 and worked it down for their second touchdown. Score 14-14.

When Vandals got the ball again, the quarterback suffered a sack and the indignity of an interception which did no harm since the Miners were unable to score in the last few seconds of the half.

The second half started with the score tied, but it boded disaster for Miami when San Manuel turned on its passing game. In spite of Galvin’s sacking their quarterback once, he was able to throw three complete passes including one for a touchdown. The score stood at 20-14 in favor of the Miners with 7:48 left in the third quarter.

Possessing the ball again, the Vandals had to punt from their own 30, partly owing to the Miners drawing them into a false start by darting toward the line of scrimmage and back again repeatedly.

The Miners managed to move the ball to the Vandal 27 before their quarterback got sacked on fourth down. The Vandals got the ball on their 32 and lost it on their 28 when Justin Cook was thrown for a loss.

A Vandal touched the punt on the Miner 42 and from there the Miner quarterback passed and passed. Five were successful and one incomplete, down to a first and goal.

The Vandals held them off one time but a keeper on the near side brought San Manual a touchdown, which was topped with the two extra points Score 14-28.

The Vandals were two 8-point touchdowns from the lead. Not insurmountable with nine minutes left in the game. But that was not to be.

Starting from their own 35, on the fourth down a horrendous snap soaring high in the air sent Powell and Galvin scampering toward their own goal line to retrieve it. The Miners took over first ant goal on the 6 and wasted no time in prancing into the end zone to put the last nail into the Vandal coffin.

The final score was 34-14.