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| Sean Studer was one of two UW-Platteville backs who ran for more than 100 yards in the Pioneers' 59-44 win at East Texas Baptist. UW-Platteville athletics photo |
The 2018 Division III football season kicked off with two ranked teams rallying from halftime deficits, a double-overtime battle and a playoff team working out some of its postseason frustrations in Thursday night's openers.
- Full Week 1 scoreboard
- Thursday's roundup
- Friday's roundup
- Saturday's Top 25 roundup
- Saturday's national roundup
- Even more game stories
UW-Platteville, which trailed 30-10 in the second quarter and 37-17 at East Texas Baptist, exploded for 35 third-quarter points and added more in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 59-44 win. It didn't take long for the No. 16 Pioneers to erase that deficit, either, as Platteville scored on its opening drive, then blocked a punt and intercepted a pass to take a 38-37 lead in the first seven minutes of the third quarter. The Tigers (0-1) went back on top with a 75-yard drive on their next possession, but Sean Studer broke out for a 45-yard run and added the final 3 yards on the next play to give UW-Platteville (1-0) the lead for good.
Studer had 124 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while Bo Babich ran for 104 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries. Donald Allender caught eight passes for 140 yards from Colin Schuetz, who completed 27 of 51 passes for 304 yards.
The deficit was slightly less for No. 19 Johns Hopkins, but the Blue Jays outscored Randolph-Macon by the same 42-7 margin in the second half in pulling away to a 63-31 win. The game, which was Jim Margraff's 300th as head coach at JHU, resulted the team's eighth consecutive season opening win. Margraff is 210-87-3 at the helm of the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays needed just five minutes of the third quarter to turn the three-point halftime deficit into an 11-point lead. A 22-yard pass from junior David Tammaro to sophomore Ryan Hubley capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive to open the second half; after the Blue Jay defense force a quick three-and-out, Johns Hopkins needed just four plays and 78 seconds to go 53 yards with Tammaro finding senior Luke McFadden from 12 yards out to make it 35-24.
Elijah Rehm returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and after all the kickoffs were done for the night, Anthony Diorio scored on a 4-yard touchdown run in the second overtime to give Rowan a 41-34 win at Widener. The Pride missed short on a 34-yard field goal attempt with under 30 seconds left in regulation, after the Profs had called two consecutive timeouts.
No. 20 Trine effectively put last year's second-round playoff exit behind it and took that frustration out on Manchester in a 55-7 win. Lamar Carswell was virtually unstoppable running for 162 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries, while quarterbacks Andrew Duckett and Brandon Winters combined to complete five of seven passes and rush for 107 yards and two scores. Cayleel Hill and Hunter Hiatt each returned interceptions for touchdowns and Marcus Winters tied the school mark for career interceptions as well.
No. 8 Frostburg State started the 2018 season the same way it started 2017, with a win against Stevenson. The Bobcats rushed for four touchdowns in the 34-7 win and limited Dan Williams to 148 passing yards. Jake Hudson was 20-for-28 passing for 225 yards and four touchdowns as Baldwin Wallace rolled past Alma 63-21. Jordan Leverette set the tone with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the game.
Keep an eye out for 11 more games, coming on Friday night.