FAIRFIELD — Three and a half minutes were left in the game when Jutahn McClain rumbled through the Hamilton Big Blue defense for an 84-yard touchdown run.
It was a punch to the gut that Hamilton would never catch its breath from, as Fairfield went on to beat the Big Blue 34-27 in the Butler Bowl at Fairfield Stadium.
“When he can go 84 yards on third and 33, that helps you just a little bit,” Fairfield coach Jason Krause said. “I think he’d be the first to tell you it starts up front. The offensive line did a great job tonight.”
“Isn’t he going to UK?” Hamilton coach Nate Mahon asked. “There’s a reason he’s going to UK, he’s pretty good.”
McClain rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns, but he wasn’t the only offensive stalwart of the night.
Fairfield quarterback Sawiaha Ellis tossed for 218 yards on 11 of 13 passing.
“Sawiaha Ellis has been playing really good football lately,” Krause said. “For a kid that’s going to play defense in college, he’s doing the best we can ask for.”
Jayden Mayes got things started for Fairfield. He scored on a 61-yard jaunt to immediately put the Indians up 6-0 just a little over a minute into the contest.
Hamilton’s Kaleb Johnson matched that with a 62-yard scamper of his own a minute later to put the Big Blue up 7-6. Johnson ended up finding the end zone once more in the fourth quarter. He finished with 84 yards on 11 carries.
“I don’t think they were ready for that fight,” Mahon said. “We could have won that game, and we were a couple bounces away from playing with Lakota West last week.
“But we need to win those games,” Mahon added. “Yes, we’re competitive, but the expectation is to win those games.”
Big Blue running back Keyshawn Stephens tallied a touchdown on the ground, and he grabbed a 16-yard touchdown pass from Quincy Simms-Marshall late in the fourth quarter for the Big Blue.
Simms-Marshall was 6-of-19 passing for 119 yards.
Fairfield travels to Lakota West next week, and Hamilton welcomes Oak Hills.
First Quarter
FAI TD 10:45 Jaydan Mayes 61 YD RUN (Elgin Phillips KICK FAILED)
HAM TD 09:48 Kaleb Johnson 62 YD RUN ( Unknown KICK)
Second Quarter
FAI TD 06:31 Jutahn McClain 7 YD RUN (Sawiaha Ellis RUSH)
HAM TD 00:22 Keyshawn Stephens 1 YD RUN ( Unknown KICK FAILED)
Third Quarter
FAI TD 05:14 Phil Thomas 18 YD RUN (Elgin Phillips KICK)
FAI TD 00:27 Jutahn McClain 9 YD RUN (Phil Thomas RUSH FAILED)
Fourth Quarter
HAM TD 05:50 Kaleb Johnson 5 YD RUN (Erik Rios KICK)
FAI TD 03:35 Jutahn McClain 84 YD RUN (Elgin Phillips KICK)
HAM TD 02:19 Keyshawn Stephens 16 YD PASS FROM Quincy Simms-Marshall (Erik Rios KICK)