Flowers drove the Express nearly the length of the field in the final minute.
He converted a fourth down before throwing a touchdown pass to Tim Smith with 9.6 seconds left to lift the Express to a 49-46 win in the Sovereign Center over Richmond.
"As an athlete and being a competitor, you always have confidence that you can score," Flowers said. "You have to get through adversity."
The Express (3-2) persevered with a 44-yard drive after the Raiders (2-3) had taken a 46-41 lead with 53 seconds left on Mike Jenkins' fourth touchdown pass of the game, a 35-yarder to Steven Miller.
Following the kickoff, the Express started at its 6 with 43 seconds left. Three plays later, the Express faced a fourth-and-4 with just 26 seconds remaining.
Ed Giddings, who had two touchdown receptions in a wild first quarter, hauled in a pass from Flowers for 17 yards to keep the Express' hopes alive.
"I felt that was my opportunity to make a play," said Giddings, playing in place of suspended wide receiver Carmelo Ocasio. "It feels real good. I was just trying my best since I had the opportunity to play tonight to really get the chance to show them what I can do."
Giddings caught another pass for 11 yards to the Richmond 10 with 14 seconds left. On the next play, Flowers fired his fifth touchdown pass, a low throw that Smith got under and rolled to his back to make the catch.
"The ball died on me," Smith said. "I panicked for a split second but I was able to dig underneath it and scoop it up for the touchdown. There was no doubt I got under that one."
Richmond had time to run two plays. Jenkins missed an open receiver near the goal line on his first pass, then completed a pass on the final play well short of the end zone.
It was the second straight home game the Express escaped with a heart-stopping victory. Two weeks earlier, Reading needed to stop a two-point conversion with no time left to down Erie 53-51.
"It's hard to win like that but it's great to win like that," Smith said. "As long as we come out with the victory I'll take it."
The Raiders stayed in the game by intercepting three Flowers passes, two in the end zone. Deleon Raynor picked off two the passes as the Express continued to struggle with turnovers.
"I'm not playing well at all and it's affecting our team," Flowers said. "I'm letting my teammates down."
Flowers and Jenkins both started the game on fire. Jenkins threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Jay Jackson on the first play from scrimmage. Flowers answered on Reading's first play with a 29-yard TD pass to Giddings.
By the time the smoke cleared in the first quarter, both teams had scored touchdowns on their first three possessions as Reading led 21-18, thanks to three extra points by Erik Rockhold.
The Express led 35-28 at halftime and held a slim lead until Miller's touchdown reception in the final minute.
Contact Brian Rippey: 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
