Coach Frank Solich leaned back and pondered in thought.
He’d seen a lot in his 50 years of college football experience, but nothing like what happened Saturday night.
Nothing like what unfolded between Texas State and Ohio at Peden Stadium, when Ohio fell to Texas State 56-54 in triple overtime.
“This is a game...I’ve never been around a game that’s been quite like this,” Solich said. “Both teams had chances to lock it up.”
In Ohio's first triple overtime in program history, the lead changed six times in the fourth quarter and three overtimes. And it, literally, was not decided until the final whistle blew.
“That’s about as many momentum swings in a ball game that I’ve ever seen,” Solich said. “It’ll be an interesting film to watch, to see where we could have done better.”
It looked over when Ohio took a 31-21 lead with 10:55 to play.
It looked over when Papi White took a 75-yard screen pass for a touchdown to put Ohio in front at 38-35 with 38 seconds remaining.
But for Ohio, it was over when Texas State hit quarterback Greg Windham on the final play, which did not allow Windham to get a pass off and a possible two-point conversion to extend the game was failed.
"It feels terrible," Windham said. "You just always want those plays back, all we've got to do is move on. It's a tough loss, very tough loss."
Windham, who made his first career college start, went 27-45 for 380 yards and four touchdowns.
Despite the impressive stat-line, there was one play that will haunt the redshirt senior for the rest of the week.
With just over a minute to play, Windham fumbled on third down, giving Texas State the ball, and eventually the lead.
"I just fumbled the football, it's my fault," he said. "I fumbled the football..."
But it was the defense, not Windham, who was frustrated with itself at game's end.
The defense allowed 35 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to let Texas State climb back in the game. It was completely frozen dealing with the speed and quickness of the no-huddle attack, and it was stopped dead when Texas State completed a double pass to score a touchdown in the third overtime.
"Just looking at myself, what could I have done better?" Kylan Nelson said. "I just try to think 'what could I have done to help?' "
If that was craziest game Peden Stadium has ever seen, it wasn't any easier to see Texas State run down the field, Ohio's field, to salute its fans.
"We played our butts off, both sides, offense and defense gave it everything we had," Windham said. "End of the day, we still took an L."
And as Ohio trudged over to sing 'Alma Mater Ohio' in front of the dozens of fans left, the team had to look over and see triumph.
One more momentum swing.
@Andrew_Gillis70
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