Football | 10/25/2014 5:00:00 PM

Box Score ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- Cody Ausherman kicked a school-record five field goals, including the game-tying field goal as time expired and the game-winning kick in the second overtime period, as the Methodist football team rallied for a 42-39 win over N.C. Wesleyan in double overtime on Saturday afternoon at Bishop Stadium.
 
Ausherman was a perfect 5-for-5 on the day, converting from 29, 41, 43, 42, and 39 yards. His 43-yarder on the final play of regulation tied the game at 36-36, and he gave MU a brief 39-36 lead with a 42-yard effort in the first overtime, before ending the game with a 39-yard try in the second overtime period.
 
All five of Ausherman's field goals proved crucial as the Monarchs (5-2, 4-1 USA South) rallied from a 26-10 deficit late in the second quarter to up their win streak to a season-best three games.
 
The Battling Bishops (4-2, 3-2 USA South) struck first, taking an early 9-0 lead less than five minutes into the contest. A botched punt from the 28-yard line resulted in an NCWC safety and a 2-0 lead at the 13:26 mark, and on the ensuing possession, Dustin Midgett passed to Jacques Alston for a four-yard touchdown pass and a 9-0 lead with 10:11 on the clock.
 
N.C. Wesleyan pushed its lead to 16 points (26-10) at the 1:29 mark of the second quarter on a Midgett-to-Malik Adams 30-yard strike before MU's offense found its stride. Methodist needed just 1:18 to cut its deficit to 26-16 as Max Reber completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Dedric Bowman with five seconds left in the first half. Reber's two-point conversion pass was incomplete.
 
To open the third quarter, the Monarchs went 51 yards in three plays and John Papillion's seven-yard run made it 26-23 in favor of the Bishops after Jordan Rieling's PAT was good.
 
After the Monarchs forced NCWC into a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, Jordan Porter fumbled the punt return and set the Bishops up with first-and-10 at the MU 22 yard line. After a 19-yard completion gave NCWC a first-and-goal from the three yard line, Shyheim Simpson intercepted Midgett in the endzone to end the threat.
 
On the Bishops' next possession following an MU punt, Midgett was picked off again, this time by Brandon Boyd at midfield and he returned it to the NCWC 35 yard line where the Monarchs began their drive. A sack on third-and-four took Methodist back to the 23 yard line and Ausherman converted from 41 yards to tie the game at 26-26 with 6:20 left in the third quarter.
 
The Bishops looked to take control of the contest once more as 10 straight points pushed their lead to 36-26 by the 8:32 mark of the fourth quarter. Ty Roberts scored on a 11-yard run with 1:40 left in the third, and a 33-yard field goal made it 36-26.
 
Methodist pulled to within three points, as Reber capped an 85-yard drive with a 17-yard scoring pass to Valdani Bastien with 1:53 to play. Needing to get the ball back, the Monarchs held Alston to three total yards on first and second down, before B.J. Minter sacked Robbie Lanier, who had come in when Midgett suffered an injury, for an eight yard loss on third down. A short punt gave the Monarchs a new possession at their own 30 with 43 seconds on the clock. Following a first-down incompletion, Reber rushed for no gain, but a personal foul on the Bishops gave MU the ball at its own 45 yard line. An 11-yard pass to Noah Shuler and an 18-yard run by Reber followed by a spiking of the ball with four seconds to play set up Ausherman for the game-tying field goal, which he converted to tie the game at 36-36.
 
In the first overtime, MU failed to move the ball which forced Ausherman into a 42-yard field goal that put MU on top, 39-36, its first lead of the game. On NCWC's possession, the Bishops picked up seven yards on first down, but Lanier was held to no gain on second down, and his third-down pass to Adams fell incomplete setting NCWC up for a 35-yard field goal which tied the game at 39-39.
 
In the second overtime, NCWC started with the ball and moved the ball to the Monarchs' four yard line before back-to-back runs of no gain, the last being on fourth down, gave the ball back over to Methodist with a chance to win the game. A false start penalty on first down pushed the Monarchs back five yards, which Shuler gained back on the next play. However, Shuler rushed for a loss of two yards, followed by another five-yard gain to the 22 yard line and set Ausherman for his game-winning 39-yard field goal.
 
The Monarchs' offense gained 491 yards, including 314 on the ground as three different Monarchs surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark. Papillion gained 117 yards on 20 carries, Shuler had 117 on 17 carries and Reber added 108 yards on 17 carries. Reber also completed 17-of-33 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions while taking five sacks. Patrick Jacobs led the receiving corps with 61 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions.
 
Defensively, MU was led by Bryan Bing, who had 13 tackles and a pass breakup. Marlon Thomas added seven stops, including the key fourth-down stop in double overtime, and B.J. Minter had 1.5 sacks among his four tackles.
 
For N.C. Wesleyan, Alston had 164 yards rushing on 33 carries, and Midgett finished 10-of-21 passing for 165 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Adams had 138 yards on seven receptions with a pair of scores.
 
Jaylon Johnson and Anthony Janezic each had eight tackles. Tyreik Dix had six tackles with a pair of sacks.
 
The Monarchs return to Fayetteville for homecoming next week when they will host Averett at 1:00 pm.