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| Brady Grayvold picked off a
Mary Hardin-Baylor pass on Saturday, giving him five picks in the
last three UW-Whitewater playoff games. Photo by Joe Fusco, d3photography.com |
This isn't a formula UW-Whitewater would like to continue or
anyone would want to copy, but the result is what counts. For the
second week in a row in the NCAA Division III playoffs UW-W fell
behind, then came back to win, this time with a 16-15 victory over
Mary Hardin-Baylor in a semifinal game in Belton, Texas, to advance
to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. UW-W (14-0) will meet the University
of Mount Union (14-0) in Salem, Va., Friday, Dec. 20 at 7:00
Eastern.
Mary-Hardin-Baylor took Whitewater's punt at their 32 to start
their first possession. The Crusaders drove to the Whitewater 10,
when a false start penalty put them back 5 and set up a third and
nine. After gaining 2 yards on a rush Chad Peevey's 30-yard field
goal gave UMHB a 3-0 lead with 6:57 left in the first quarter.
Whitewater's second drive ended at its 45 with a sack, and after a
short punt into the wind UMHB took over at its own 43 yard line.
UW-W made the stop, and got the ball back at their 12 after fair
catching a punt. On Whitewater's first play a high snap went
through the hands of Steve Morris who was back to receive the snap,
and the ball went into the end zone where Baylor Mullins tackled
Morris for the safety to put UMHB in front 5-0 with 2:47 left in
the first quarter.
With UW-W kicking the ball away again, and into the wind, Mary
Hardin Baylor had good field position again, their own 48. Facing
second and eight at the Whitewater 20, Warhawk Brady Grayvold
picked off Zach Anderson's pass at the 13, Grayvold's team best
eighth interception, tying his for first place, with five others,
in the UW-W record book.
The Warhawk offense got some traction after the exchange, moving
from the 13 to the 45. On a first and 10 at the 45 the Crusaders'
Andy McAtter forced a fumble that Michael Johnson recovered at the
Whitewater 45.
Midway through the second quarter the Crusaders offense began at
their 30. They pushed the ball, almost literally using eight runs
on nine plays in the drive, ending with Elijah Hudson's
twenty-seventh rushing touchdown of the season from ten yards out
with 5:47 remaining in the half and UMHB in front 12-0. It was just
the fifth rushing touchdown given up by UW-W this season. To this
point Hudson had 79 yards rushing, more than UW-W had given up to
any back in a game this season.
Whitewater's offense responded with its longest drive of the half.
Starting at their 30, the Warhawks covered 70 yards in eight plays.
Six plays were rushes, two passes. Facing a third and four at the
Crusader 45, Matt Behrendt hit Jake Kumerow, the first catch of the
day for Whitewater's leading receiver, and Kumerow took it down to
the 15. Jordan Ratliffe ran the last three yards, and EricKindler's
kick cut Mary Hardin-Baylor's lead to 12-7 with 2:05 on the
clock.
After a defensive stop, Justin Howard's 34 yard punt return set up
the offense at the Crusader 35. After three plays advanced the ball
to the 26 and one second left in the half, Kindler's 42 yard field
goal attempt went wide left.
UMHB totaled 182 yards in the half, 132 of those on the ground
with Hudson accounting for 79. Whitewater had 132 yards of offense,
102 passing. Ratliffe carried the ball 12 times for 48 yards, 38 of
those coming in the second quarter. Behrendt went 11-17, with four
of those caught by Tyler Huber. Zach Anderson completed 4-5 for 28
yards.
Mary Hardin-Baylor opened the second half with the ball, but the
Warhawk defense forced a three and out, and the UW-W offense took
over on its 40. Three times in the drive that followed the Warhawks
converted on third downs. Facing a third and five at the UMHB 43,
Behrendt scrambled for nine yards. Later, with third and four at
the 28, Behrendt found Logan Solano for twelve yards. Behrendt also
hit Howard with a pass to the right sideline when it was third and
6 at the 12. On the next play Ratliffe ran it in for the score,
giving Whitewater its first lead of the day, 13-12, with 6:57
remaining in the third quarter. UW-W attempted a pass for a two
point conversion but failed. The Whitewater score marked the first
time this season that Mary Hardin-Baylor had trailed after the
first quarter.
Again, the Warhawk defense stopped UMHB after just three plays,
turning the ball over to the offense at the Whitewater 33. Ten
plays, and over four minutes, later with the ball on the Cru 14,
Kindler came on to kick a 31 yard field goal to up the Warhawk lead
to 16-12 with 0:48 on the clock in the third quarter.
Mary Hardin-Baylor came back to move the ball from its 16 to the
Whitewater 42, but the Warhawk defense short-circuited the drive.
Anderson's pass was caught by a Crusader receiver, but UW-W
defensive back Marcus McLin hit the receiver and popped the ball
into the air where it was picked off by fellow DB Ryan Winske at
the Whitewater 28.
With Whitewater pinned at the 11 by a punt, the Crusader defense
stopped UW-W on three plays, and the ensuing punt was returned to
the Whitewater 20. The Cru moved the ball to the Whitewater three
with five runs up the middle, with a false start penalty included.
On third and three, at the three, Anderson's pass was dropped by a
wide open receiver in the right side of the end zone. The Cru
elected to try a field goal, and Peevey put it through from 21
yards out to pull UMHB within 16-15 with 3:29 left in the game.
The Whitewater offense came onto the field with 3:25 left. UW-W's
drive to eat up the clock was keyed by a Behrendt hitting an 18
yard pass to Derric Junakin that enabled the Warhawks to take the
clock down to eight seconds. Kindler's punt rolled out at the MHB
36 with one second left. A wild, unsuccessful multi-lateral play
ended play.
UW-W limited UMHB to 59 yards in the second half. For the game the
Warhawks totaled 294 yards to 241 for Mary Hardin-Baylor. UW-W had
97 yards rushing, 197 passing. Mary Hardin-Baylor compiled 188 on
the ground and 53 in the air. Whitewater was not penalized in the
game, a first this season. Ratliffe carried the ball 28 times for
100 yards, the rest of the team totaled minus three yards rushing.
Behrendt completed 21-29, eight to Justin Howard. Derric Junakin
caught a career high four passes. Elijah Hudson led the Crusaders
with 106 yards on 19 carries, the first 100 yard rusher the
Warhawks have allowed this season. Zach Anderson went 6-10 for 47
yards with the two interceptions, and Kamray Runnels caught three
passes for UMHB.
The loss ended a 16-game home win streak for UMHB.
Last week in a playoff quarterfinal game UW-W fell behind 17-0,
then scored the final 28 points of the game to defeat Linfield
College.
The game in Belton marked the third time the teams have met in
NCAA III playoff action, all in the semifinals. In 2007 Whitewater
won 16-7, and in 2008 the Warhawks won 39-13. Whitewater also won
the two regular season meetings, 7-3 in 2006 and 41-14 in 2007.
The University of Mount Union edged North Central College 41-40,
scoring a touchdown with 1:07 left to earn another trip to Salem.
This will mark the eighth time in nine years that the two teams
will meet for the Division III championship. Whitewater has won
four of the previous five meetings, earning titles in 2007, 2009,
2010 and 2011.