/seasons/2016/contrib/20161112xcrs4c

Berry Football Claims Share of SAA Title with Win at Centre

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DANVILLE, Ky. - In just its fourth season, the Vikings football team claimed a share of the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) title with a 21-19 win over the Centre Colonels on Saturday. By virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker, Washington (Mo.) earned the SAA's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Vikings will await a possible at-large bid to be announced during the NCAA selection show tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • The top-ranked defense in the SAA outlasted the top offense in the league by forcing four takeaways and racking up nine sacks. 
  • Centre went up by 10 points in the second quarter off of a TD run by running back Colin Burnam and a field goal by Ben Logsdon. 
  • In a wild two minutes before the half, Mamadou Soumahoro stripped quarterback Devin Hayes and returned the fumble before tossing a lateral to Alec Leeseberg to set the Vikings up at the Centre 15-yard-line. 
  • After the good field position, Austin Lowe would punch in a 2-yard score with 24 seconds left in the half.
  • Austin Haight would then recover a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and return in to the Centre 11-yard-line, setting up a Trey Ciresi TD to put the Vikings up 14-10 heading into the half. 
  • Tristen Cline would then haul in a 19-yard TD from Tate Adcock in the third to put Berry up 21-10. 
  • Centre would answer with a field goal and another rushing TD, but the Vikings held on to clinch the program's first SAA title. 

BERRY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS:

  • Tate Adcock: 10-17, 131 yards, TD
  • Trey Ciresi: 5 rec., 143 yards, TD
  • Mamadou Soumahoro: 7 tack., 4 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovery
  • Alec Leeseberh: 6 tack., 1.5 sacks
  • Preston Stewart: 5 tack., 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss

CENTRE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS:

  • Devin Hayes: 25-53, 332 yards, INT
  • Colin Burnam: 10 att., 29 yards, 2 TD
  • Noah Dziedzic: 7 rec., 112 yards
  • Trey Yeager: 9 tack., 2 sacks
  • Anthony Kersey: 6 tack., 1.5 sacks

NOTABLES:

  • Mamadou Soumahoro continued to add to his sack total, now at 15 on the year. 
  • The nine sacks today set a new program record. 
  • The Colonels entered today's game averaging 45.2 points per game and were ranked top ten in the nation in points per game and yards per game (525.8). The were held to 354 yards of offense.

UP NEXT:

  • The Vikings will away a possible at-large bid to the playoffs. The NCAA selection show will be at 6:00 p.m. ET tomorrow.
Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
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Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
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