NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Antonio Zita made 62- and 51-yard field goals and hit a 35-yarder as time expired to give Tennessee State a 21-20 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sunday.
Stone Galloway made a 37-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining to give Eastern Illinois a 20-18 lead, but Isaiah Green completed a 48-yard pass to Cam Wyche to the 19 and, one play later, Zita won it for the Tigers (1-2 Ohio Valley Conference).
Zita had the 51-yarder in the first quarter, then added the conference record-tying 62-yarder with just over four minutes left in the game. He matched the Ohio Valley record set by Murray State’s Paul Hickert in 1986. It was a yard shy of the FCS record.
Eastern Illinois (0-3) built a 17-3 halftime lead before the Tigers rallied with a pair of short touchdown runs, then Zita’s 62-yarder.
Green threw for 257 yards, and Shawn McColley and Devon Starling ran for scores.
Otto Kuhns threw for two touchdowns to Jay Vallie for the Panthers. Jaelin Benefield rushed for 120 yards on 16 carries.
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