Jeff Garcia threw three touchdown passes against Hartford on
Friday night but none more important than a 12-yard strike to
Robert Ferguson on fourth down with six seconds left to lift the
Omaha Nighthawks to a 27-26 victory in their United Football League
debut
OMAHA, Neb. — Jeff Garcia threw three touchdown passes against Hartford on Friday night but none more important than a 12-yard strike to Robert Ferguson on fourth down with six seconds left to lift the Omaha Nighthawks to a 27-26 victory in their United Football League debut.
“I didn’t make the greatest of throws,” said Garcia, a Gilroy native. “It was one of those throws where I wanted to just give him a chance to make a play. And fortunately it snuck by that corner and he made the play. What a way to finish.”
A Rosenblatt Stadium-record crowd of 23,067 witnessed the hometown team pull off the thrilling comeback win.
“We felt like we were running so many inside-breaking routes throughout the night. Down at that last drive we started to run some out-breaking routes,” Garcia said of the Nighthawks’ strategy on the final drive. “I had Robert Ferguson run a post corner to my right side, and I threw left. And I could see his reaction that he thought he had it.
“So when we came back on that last play, obviously fourth down, not a whole lot of time left, no timeouts left, basically had to go to the end zone, and I told him run another post corner for me, but this time to the left, and he did a great job of selling the post and breaking back out the corner.”
Omaha trailed by as many as 13 in the second half, but two fourth-quarter touchdowns by Garcia and a Jeff Wolfert field goal erased the deficit.
Wolfert’s kick cut the lead to 10 early in the fourth. Garcia and Devard Darling punctuated a nine play, 54-yard drive with a 2-yard score midway through the final period to skim Hartford’s lead to 23-20.
After a Colonials field goal widened the gap to 26-20, Garcia and the Nighthawks began the game-winning nine play, 59-yard drive with less than three minutes remaining.
“You talk about coming out, and obviously having not played an entire year, really wondering how things are going to go,” Garcia said.
“I had a busy week. Had a baby born on Tuesday. I’m flying from coast to Midwest from coast to Midwest. Just really was a busy week, but a very grateful, thankful week.
“I’m very blessed with my family at home. I’ll have a chance to get home tomorrow and see them, spend some time with them. What a way to cap off the week, just a great way to finish the night.”
