When your opponent is up 31-17 with 1:40 left and has a win probability of 99.4%, the thought of winning the game seems completely far fetched. Especially when that opponent has just run off 24 straight points and out gained you 457 yards to 182 yards. Unfortunately for East Tennessee State, this was the daunting scenario they faced in their first FCS home playoff game since 1996.
It wasn’t only daunting because of the situation, but it was also due to how they arrived at this point. Midway through the third quarter ETSU was up 17-7 and had knocked Kennesaw State’s starting quarterback, Xavier Shepherd, out of the game with an injury.