/notables/2013/09/week4-top25-wrapup

Top 25 wrap: Linfield rolls, PLU survives


UW-Eau Claire missed a point-after attempt in the third quarter and it came back to cost them in the fourth.
Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com 

No. 2 Linfield jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and rolled to a 45-0 win at Case Western Reserve, while conference rival and No. 10 Pacific Lutheran had to hold on in the final minute, stuffing a two-point conversion attempt to win at UW-Eau Claire 21-19.

Eau Claire's Joel Sweeney accounted for 37 yards on a second-quarter TD drive and 73 yards on an 88-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes of the game, scoring from 1 yard out to cut the lead to two points. But Sweeney was stopped by Conor Gabart on the two-point conversion attempt and PLU survived.

Josh Yoder was 21-for-32 passing for the No. 2 Wildcats for 235 yards and two TDs in the win, holding the Spartans to 89 yards of total offense in the process. It was a 2,500-mile trip for Linfield, which kicked off at noon ET, 9 a.m. Pacific.

Wesley didn't look any the worse for wear after the loss to UMHB last week, rolling out to a 37-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and cruising to a 46-12 win at Birmingham-Southern. The No. 11 Wolverines took advantage of a bad-snap safety and returned two fumbles and an interception for touchdowns in the first quarter alone.

Concordia-Moorhead limited Connor Bruns to 23-for-48 passing and picked him off twice as the Cobbers knocked off No. 21 St. John's 24-10 on the road. It was the first loss for the Johnnies after three narrow victories to open the season.

Lycoming led No. 24 Widener 13-0 at the half before seeing the Pride score two third-quarter touchdowns to take a 14-13 lead. But the Warriors responded with a 13-play drive capped by a Zack Czap field goal, his third of the game, to take the lead for good with 2:24 left as Lycoming held on for a 16-14 win on the road.

No. 18 St. John Fisher orchestrated three consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to erase a 17-14 deficit against Cortland en route to a 33-25 win.

Delaware Valley senior Kyle Schuberth (interview at right) carried the ball 37 times for 214 yards and a school record-tying four TDs as the Aggies scored 34 of the game's final 40 points to come from behind and defeat MAC foe Stevenson 41-23.

Matthew McDaniels entered the day with the most total rushing yards in Division III this season but No. 7 Hobart held the Merchant Marine quarterback to 65 yards rushing on 22 carries in a 24-8 win. Spencer Stanek threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns in North Central's 27-7 win against UW-Stevens Point. The Cardinals ran for just 41 yards, however.

There were also a lot of blowout wins for Top 25 teams as well, as top-ranked Mount Union crushed Marietta 84-14 and No. 8 UW-Oshkosh crushed Alma 56-3 and outgained the Scots 555-75. Fifth-ranked Bethel cruised at Carleton, No. 12 UW-Whitewater shut out Waldorf, No. 13 Heidelberg demolished Wilmington, No. 14 Franklin put up 80 on Earlham and No. 16 Johns Hopkins had an easy time of it at home vs. Muhlenberg. No. 17 Wittenberg blanked Oberlin, while No. 19 Wabash shut out Allegheny.

Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
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