How else could the most amazing Division III football season end? Like this!
Here's how it ended! Mount Union's Wayne Ruby catches the deflected pass off the HEAD of a Baldwin Wallace defender and somehow the Purple Raiders survive! #d3fb pic.twitter.com/T47qrahZXu
— D3football.com (@d3football) November 12, 2022
Mount Union's miracle finish means the Purple Raiders avoid going into the at-large pool, and doubtless spares someone's bubble from popping. With just five at-large bids, every spot is crucial.
Mount's drive started at its own 26-yard line. Plunk completed three check-down passes with the last one going to sophomore running back Tyler Echeverry, who ran out of bounds to stop the clock with four seconds left at Mount's 48-yard line. Following a timeout, Plunk hurled the ball down the field which bounced off a Yellow Jacket defender at the 10-yard line before Ruby ran under it inside the 2-yard line and crossed the goal line etching the moment into Mount Union football lore.
Teams will find out who gets the at-large spots to the NCAA playoffs when the NCAA.com selection show airs on Sunday, at 5 p.m. ET.
King's saw its bubble pop early on Saturday as the Monarchs got rolled by crosstown rival Wilkes, 58-42. The Colonels led 58-21 late in the third before King's punched in a few late touchdowns. King's was hoping for an at-large bid after entering the game with an 8-1 record. Xavier Powell threw for six touchdowns for Wilkes, which improved to 7-3 in its final season in the MAC, and Elijah Jules ran for 139 yards and a touchdown and caught a TD pass as well.
This was good news for at-large contenders such as UW-La Crosse, Wheaton, Hardin-Simmons and Johns Hopkins, who all won. Bethel lost to St. John's on Saturday in the MIAC title game but should be in good shape for an at-large bid, and Albion, which lost the MIAA title to Alma, could get a shot as well.
The Pride established the fullback early and often as the duo of Arsen Shtefan and Joseph Cannizzaro combined for 226 rushing yards on 44 carries and two scores as Springfield defeated Catholic 35-21 to win the NEWMAC automatic bid. Armando Torres directed the offense to 403 yards of offense, including 363 on the ground, as Springfield held the ball of 37:30 and was 10-of-14 on third-down conversions.
All three teams tied for first in the Midwest Conference won on Saturday, which sent the conference into tiebreaker mode. Since Lake Forest and Monmouth had each led at the end of the same number of quarters in conference play, 28, the head-to-head winner of that game gets the playoff nod, and Lake Forest advances.
In the Monon Bell game, DePauw scored the game's first 28 points and returned a pair of interceptions for scores on the way to a 49-14 win against visiting Wabash. The Tigers moved to 9-1 overall, 7-1 in North Coast Athletic Conference play, and won their second consecutive conference title and automatic berth. Wabash quarterback Liam Thompson set the school and conference single season passing record with 3,588 yards, but the Tigers made it a long afternoon for the reigning NCAC Player of the Year. Thompson fumbled on Wabash's opening drive, threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, and was sacked six times.
No. 14 Delaware Valley capped its second straight undefeated regular season with a 34-7 win over Widener in the Keystone Cup finale. The Aggies ran for five touchdowns with two apiece from halfback Jay White and quarterback Louie Berrios IV. DelVal outgained the Pride 247-21 on the ground.
No. 12 Ithaca made sure it would enter the playoffs as an unbeaten team, as the Bombers pulled away to a 34-17 win at Yankee Stadium against No. 11 Cortland in the Cortaca Jug. Anthony Wingfield was an efficient 18-for-20 for 209 yards and Jake Williams was both the Bombers' leading rusher and leading receiver in the win. Check out the photo gallery from d3photography.com.
The game was played in front of a paid crowd of 40,232, the second-highest attendance in Division III football history.