Greg Bailey | Butler-Indy game 'everything I hoped'

Even without the national rankings and the unbeaten records, this was a good football game and a great show. So often in “big games” too many players are too tight, but I didn’t see that at Memorial Stadium. Great players made plays, but Butler made one more. Congratulations to Coach Newsome and his gang. The 21-20 win was hard earned and well deserved.

I really thought the Patriots had taken control with the late flurry in the first half – 2 touchdowns in the closing minute and change. But Butler’s best players made all the big plays in the 2nd half. Jacob Charest and Jarrett Boykin. Robert Blanton with big plays on offense and defense. It was exactly what those players had talked about for years. That seems silly to say, but when you’re 18 years old it’s true. Jacob Charest told us, “It doesn’t get any better than this!”

When we went to talk to both teams before the season started, the Bulldogs wanted to talk about Independence. The Patriots wanted to talk about another title and national respect. Maybe both teams did lose their way a little bit during the season, but they both played tonight.

We’ll never know what Tom Knotts’s suspension did to the Patriots tonight. But we do know this, Independence doesn’t make excuses. I respect that and I respect eight years of beating North Carolina competition. It’s a remarkable streak and maybe they’ll see Butler again in the playoffs. Hold a seat on the sidelines for me.