/notables/2018/10/week6-top25-roundup

Top 25: Frostburg, RPI win nail-biters

Jamaal Morant picks up crucial yards in a game against Kean. (Frostburg State athletics file photo)
Jamaal Morant picked up 162 yards and the game-winning touchdown on the ground for Frostburg State.
Frostburg State athletics file photo
 

No. 5 Frostburg State came away with the win in a key battle at No. 6 Wesley, while No. 20 RPI held on when a two-point conversion went for naught on the final play of the game at Ithaca in Division III football Top 25 action. No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor dealt No. 7 Hardin-Simmons its first shutout in 25 years when the Cru defeated the Cowboys 26-0.

The Bobcats (4-0, 3-0 NJAC) went down 14-0 early as Khaaliq Burroughs hit Alex Kemp for an 80-yard touchdown 39 seconds into the game and found Kemp again on a mismatch for a 17-yard score early in the second quarter. But Frostburg scored three consecutive times, once when it picked up a Wesley fumble on its own 19. The Wolverines turned the ball over five times in the game.

Burroughs ran it in from the 1 to give Wesley (4-1, 3-1) its first score of the second half, but the Wolverines missed the extra point, leaving it 21-20. They failed on a two-point conversion attempt early in the fourth quarter as well, on Kemp's third touchdown catch, leaving Wesley in the lead 26-21.

Frostburg got another break on its next drive. Facing third-and-12 from the Wesley 37, Connor Cox rolled out and threw the ball deep as he was being run out of bounds. The ball deflected off a Frostburg receiver and into the hands of Christian Thornton, who took it the final few yards for a touchdown, giving the Bobcats a 28-26 lead. Wesley answered immediately with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Marcellus Pack, and a two-point conversion pass gave Wesley a six-point advantage. After the teams traded punts, Frostburg State but a 46-yard return from Terrett Brown to set the Bobcats up at the Wolverine 31. Cox scrambled for 17 yards on third-and-10 to set up a first-and-goal, and Jamaal Morant plowed his way in two plays later for a 35-34 lead. Michael Morgan intercepted Burroughs on the ensuing drive and the Bobcats ran out the clock for the 35-34 victory.

Morant ran for a game-high 162 yards on 30 carries, while Cox ran for 41 yards and two touchdowns. Wesley turned the ball over five times.

Mary Hardin-Baylor jumped out to a 13-0 lead after two possessions but turned the ball over three times in the red zone. DeNerian Thomas ran for three touchdowns in the wildcat package and Jase Hammack completed eight of 10 passes for 176 yards with one interception. The Cru broke up eight passes and registered 12 tackles for loss.

Peter Palczewski hit Will Gladney for a 5-yard touchdown as time expired for No. 23 Ithaca, but the two-point conversion attempt failed and No. 20 RPI held on for the 10-9 win. Ithaca had had an extra-point attempt blocked, but RPI players charged the field while the ball was still live and the Engineers were flagged for a penalty. On the second conversion attempt, Ithaca went for two and was stopped.

RPI got on the board first, capping a 15-play drive with a field goal to take a 3-0 lead, and Nick Cella scored a touchdown on the first drive of the second half to make it 10-0. But the Engineers (5-0, 1-0 LL) managed just nine first downs and 162 yards of total offense on the day, keeping Ithaca within striking distance. Ithaca (3-2, 0-1) had nine of its 11 drives finish in RPI territory.

JT Parish has a step on his defender en route to a long touchdown catch for UW-Whitewater. (Photo by Daryl Tessmann, d3photography.com)
Photo by Daryl Tessmann, d3photography.com

JT Parish caught three passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns and the UW-Whitewater defense kept UW-Oshkosh off the scoreboard entirely as the No. 8 Warhawks defeated the No. 10 Titans 20-0. Cole Wilber hit Parish on touchdown passes of 82 and 76 yards, while Harry Henschler had two sacks and six total tackles. The game featured zero turnovers. Kyle Radavich was 19-for-37 passing for the Titans and was sacked three times.

Case Western Reserve quarterback Drew Saxton won the QB duel, throwing for 414 yards and five touchdowns, but Washington & Jefferson combined four touchdown passes from Jacob Adams with two touchdown runs by Jordan West and the No. 12 Presidents defeated the No. 19 Spartans 44-36. Saxton threw interceptions on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter, after Case had cut its deficit to nine points. After the second pick, West got the handoff at the 2 and finished 98 yards later with a touchdown, sealing the win.

Jackson Erdmann hit Will Gillach for a 71-yard touchdown pass on the second play from scrimmage, and the defense for the No. 9 Johnnies forced Bethel freshman quarterback Jaran Roste from the game before going on to win 34-16. Jake Marsh threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to bring the Royals within 20-16, but Sam Westby picked Marsh off on the next drive and returned it 34 yards for a score to push the lead back out. Erdmann was 16-for-31 for 287 yards and a touchdown, while being picked off twice.

After a more than two-hour lightning delay before the start of the game, No. 18 Illinois Wesleyan went to two overtime possessions to earn a 40-34 win over Carthage. IWU junior quarterback Brandon Bauer tied a school single game record with 34 completions in 55 attempts for 361 yards with two TD throws, including the 4-yard game-winner to junior wide receiver Jack Healy on the second overtime possession. Carthage appeared to have the game won in regulation but a would-be go-ahead touchdown was called back because of penalty.

Augsburg scored with 2:10 left in the first quarter to cut St. Thomas' lead to 21-14, but it was all Tommies the rest of the way. No. 3 St. Thomas (5-0, 3-0 MIAC) scored five times in the second quarter, including on a punt return and a pick-six, to roll past Augsburg 73-14. Josh Parks had just 13 carries but took them for 194 yards and two touchdowns in the win. St. Thomas limited the Auggies (2-4, 0-4) to minus-21 yards rushing while Luke Glenna had a team-high five tackles and a forced fumble to go along with his two interceptions, one of which he returned 73 yards for a score.

Ranked OAC teams defeated their opponents by a combined total of 107-7, as No. 1 Mount Union rolled over Wilmington 63-7 and No. 11 John Carroll got past Capital 44-0. No. 4 Brockport did it again on defense, racking up 17 tackles for loss and limiting Hartwick to minus-37 rushing yards in a 55-7 win. Twelve players had their hands in tackles for losses and Berry had seven sacks in a 44-3 defeat of Sewanee. Berry outgained the Tigers 447-90 in improving to 6-0. Sewanee fell to 3-3.

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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