|
| Michael Metter's field goal sailed through and the celebration was on in McMinnville. Photo by Scott Presley, d3photography.com |
|
| Lane Clark takes a pass from Taurice Scott 51 yards to the end zone as part of Mount Union's 21-0 run to start the game. Photo by Dan Poel, d3photography.com |
Mount Union cruised into the semifinals for the 21st consecutive season, Linfield won on the last play of the game, St. Thomas rolled past Wabash and UW-Whitewater survived a battle in the early games in the 2015 Division III football quarterfinals.
After Mary Hardin-Baylor took an early 21-0 lead, Linfield went to work to get back into it, before the first quarter even ended.
With the game tied 35-35, UMHB picked off Tom Knecht for the third time on the afternoon and had the ball on the Wildcats' 23-yard line with 5:18 left. But a shotgun snap sailed over the quarterback's head and Alex Hoff pounced on it at the 48-yard line.
Given new life, Knecht and the Wildcats drove down to the UMHB 15 with three seconds left and Michael Metter kicked a 32-yard field goal to win the game on the final play, 38-35.
"I saw (the snap) was high," Hoff said. "And it's a dead sprint to the ball. It was a little lucky bounce when he went to get on it. It popped out to my side … it was just a dead sprint and pray for the best, and it ended up falling our way, which is huge."
Knecht, playing in place of the injured Sam Riddle, was 38-for-54 passing for 492 yards and all five touchdowns.
Previous playoff pairings |
| Linfield and St. Thomas have met twice previously in the postseason: 2009 quarterfinals: Linfield, 31-20 2010 second round: St. Thomas 24-17 (2 OT) |
| UW-Whitewater and Mount Union have met nine times in the postseason, all in the Stagg Bowl: 2005: Mount Union, 35-28 2006: Mount Union, 35-16 2007: UW-Whitewater, 31-21 2008: Mount Union, 31-26 2009: UW-Whitewater, 38-28 2010: UW-Whitewater, 31-21 2011: UW-Whitewater, 13-10 2013: UW-Whitewater, 52-14 2014: UW-Whitewater, 43-34 |
UW-Whitewater stopped a UW-Oshkosh two-point conversion attempt short of the goal line in the closing minutes, and the Titans got the ball back at midfield with two minutes left but were unable to get into game-winning field goal range. The Warhawks won, 31-29, and kept alive the possibly of winning a third consecutive Stagg Bowl and making a 10th appearance in Salem since 2005. It would be their first under head coach Kevin Bullis, who got 164 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Jordan Ratliffe and a turnover-free day from his offense.
For the Titans, who finish the season 12-1, Devon Linzenmeyer came off the bench to rush for 130 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries, and quarterback Brett Kasper rallied to throw two touchdown passes after two early interceptions. But Kasper's completions to Zach Kasuboski on a two-point converstion attempt that would have tied the game with 3:42 left was short of the goal line and the Warhawks made the tackle.
UW-Whitewater advances to face Mount Union yet again, though next week will be the first time in 10 postseason meetings that the two teams will play somewhere other than the Stagg Bowl's neutral field.
Purple Raiders quarterback Taurice Scott eclipsed 300 yards passing for the first time, throwing for 330 and five touchdowns in a 56-35 defeat of Wesley. Logan Nemeth added 218 rushing yards and two scores, including a backbreaking 73-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Two seasons ago, on the same field in the same round of the playoffs, Wesley quarterback Joe Callahan rallied the Wolverines from down 31 in a 62-59 loss. Mount Union led by 35 before Wesley scored three consecutive touchdowns to make it 49-35. The Wolverines drove to the Mount Union 13-yard line with about six minutes to go, but the Purple Raider defense stiffened and Nemeth's run came soon after.
In three playoff meetings in Alliance the past three season, Mount Union has scored 62, 70 and 56 points, outscoring Wesley 188-115.
St. Thomas limited Mason Zurek to 72 yards rushing and Connor Rice to 93 yards passing in a 38-7 win against Wabash at O'Shaugnessy Stadium. The Tommies, who went to the Stagg Bowl in 2012 and are aiming to return to Salem, had 45 rushing attempts, though only 16 by star running back Jordan Roberts. Roberts had been banged up and was in and out of the game, while backup Jack Kaiser appeared to miss time with an injury as well.
Nick Waldvogel had eight receptions to pace to the Tommies offense, while the defense forced three turnovers.