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| Aurora has run the table in the NACC after an 0-2 start to the season. d3photography.com file photo by Doug Sasse |
Aurora came all the way back from an 0-2 start to the season, while DePauw, Washington & Lee, Huntingdon and Framingham State all clinched playoff bids in Saturday's Division III football action.
This is an early version of the roundup and will be updated later this evening.
Aurora (7-2, 7-0) rallied from an early 13-0 deficit to defeat Lakeland 38-20 and secure the NACC’s automatic bid. Spartan running back Tyran Bailey paced Aurora with 213 yards on the ground. Lakeland (7-2, 5-2) quarterback Charl’Tez Nunnery threw for 196 yards and rushed for 157 more. It's the seventh consecutive victory for the Spartans after the team started off the season with losses to current No. 5 St. John's and No. 1 North Central.
DePauw totaled a school-record 502 passing yards and the defense recorded a pair of scores as the Tigers roared past Oberlin, 66-13. The win clinched the North Coast Athletic Conference title and automatic bid for DePauw, which will be returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Chase Andries completed 16 of 22 passes with career highs of five touchdowns and 391 yards. Josh Major caught six for a career-best 125 yards, while Smith hauled in three for 145 yards and three scores.
Josh Breece finished off an eight-play drive with a touchdown run with 1:42 left in the game, lifting Washington & Lee to a 28-24 win against Ferrum and securing the automatic bid out of the ODAC for the Generals (8-1, 5-0). Breece ran for one score, Coby Kirkland ran for two and Stephen Murrin ran for a score as well in the win. Ferrum (6-3, 3-3) had taken a 24-21 lead on a Titus Jones TD run with 5:49 left.
Huntingdon put up four touchdowns in the first 10-plus minutes and cruised to a 52-33 win against Maryville, clinching the automatic bid from the USA South. After the Hawks went up 45-7 midway through the fourth, Maryville outscored them 26-7 the rest of the way, including a touchdown with 20 seconds left for the final margin. Malachi Harvey had four catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the win, while Landon Cotney threw for three scores and ran for three as well.
Framingham State (7-2, 7-0) are champions of the MASCAC for the fourth consecutive time following a 47-13 win over Bridgewater State. The Rams outgained the Bears 530-240 including a 249-6 rushing yard advantage. Junior running back Bookie McBean, Jr. rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams.
Whitworth had its hopes of an at-large bid dashed on Saturday as the Pirates fell at Pacific 14-7. Jaedyn Prewitt was knocked out of the game after a 13-yard run which took Whitworth into Boxer territory late in the third quarter with the game tied 7-7. After a punt pinned Pacific back on its 7, the Boxers drove 93 yards in 12 plays, with Joshua Harris running for 7 yards to pick up first and goal at the 2, then taking it the final 2 yards himself. Whitworth got as close as the 18 but could not convert on fourth down, allowing Pacific to run out the clock.
Heidelberg (6-2, 5-2) defeated John Carroll (6-3, 6-2) 27-21 in overtime. After missing a 47-yard potential game winning field goal, the Student Princes rebounded to stop a Mason Sullivan rush short of the goal line on 4th down ending the Blue Streaks' overtime possession. Heidelberg quarterback Drew Sims connected with Brandon Reed on the first play of the Student Prince overtime for the walk off victory.