Games of Oct. 4-5, 2002
Offense
QB Jake Knott, Sr., Wabash
Knott threw for 288 yards and three TDs to lead Wabash to a 24-14 Homecoming win over Allegheny on Saturday. The victory was the 11th win in a row for the Little Giants, dating back to 2001. Knott became the all-time leader in total offense at Wabash. He completed 27 of 35 with one interception and ran 10 times for 35 yards.
OL Erik Moen, Josh Dill, Jeff York, Peter Gerber, Justin Buckner, Linfield
The Linfield line paved the way for the Wildcats to go an average of 5.2 yards a carry against Pacific Lutheran in a 35-21 win. The Wildcats held the ball for 37:11 of the game.
RB Dan Pugh, Sr., Mount Union
Pugh carried 17 times for 162 yards and five touchdowns, all in the first half, as Mount Union rolled Otterbein 55-0. He also caught three passes for 28 yards.
RB Tony Sutton, So., Wooster
Sutton ran through Ohio Wesleyan, which came into the game ranked third in the NCAC in total defense, for a school- and NCAC-record 313 yards and five touchdowns on 36 carries. His five scores and 30 total points tied NCAC marks as well as he was named for the second week in a row.
WR Matt Kent, UW-Platteville
Kent caught three touchdown passes and a two-point conversion, lifting UW-Platteville to a 34-31 overtime win against 15th-ranked UW-Stout. Kent caught a 39-yard pass and conversion to tie the score at 21-21, then grabbed a 44-yard bomb with 3:17 left to tie the game again at 28-28. Finally, his 14-yard touchdown reception in overtime gave the Pioneers their first 1-0 league start since 1985. He finished with nine catches for 174 yards.
WR Brad Duesing, Fr., Washington U.
The freshman's 14 catches broke a 41-year old WU record and his 217 receiving yards were just 17 shy of a school record. Had nine catches for 163 yards and a TD in the second half, helping WU erase 13-3 and 20-13 deficits. He has at least 100 receiving yards and one TD in three consecutive games.
TE Ryan Short, Wabash
Short added to his career totals by snagging two more TD passes against Allegheny on Saturday in a 24-14 victory for Wabash. Short made his 34th TD catch, breaking the career record of 33 set by Mike Funk in 1989. Short led the Wabash receiving corps with nine receptions for 81 yards. He was one of seven receivers to catch a pass in the victory.
Defense
DL Anthony O'Neill, Sr., Widener
O'Neill made 11 tackles (five solo), had five tackles for losses of 30 yards and had two sacks for losses of 26 yards as No. 6 Widener beat No. 8 Lycoming 20-14 in overtime. Lycoming finished the game with only 200 yards of total offense, 45 of which came from the ground, where Lycoming entered the game ranked 15th nationally at 252.6 yards per game.
DL Michael Doleman, Jr., Shenandoah
Doleman keyed the Hornets' 19-15 win over defending Dixie Conference co-champion Christopher Newport with a forced fumble on the Shenandoah 6-yard line and two second-half sacks. He finished the game with 15 tackles (10 solo), two passes broken up and five tackles for loss.
DL Ryan Bailey, Jr., Bridgewater
Bailey was in on six tackles, four unassisted in Bridgewater's 38-7 win against Hampden-Sydney. Bailey sacked HSC quarterback Mac Russell three times for 19 yards in losses and also caused a fumble.
DL J.J. Zearley, Jr., Wartburg
Zearley had eight tackles (six solo) and tied the IIAC record for sacks in a game with five in a 34-3 win against Loras.
LB Ron Swearingin, Jr., Capital
Swearingin had 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops to lead the Crusader defense against Wilmington last weekend. Swearingin also recorded a quarterback sack and blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
LB Brandon Brown, Sr., Howard Payne
Brown set the tone early in a 70-33 win against Sul Ross State. With the score 7-0, Brown intercepted a pass at the Lobo 32 and ran it in for a touchdown. On Sul Ross' next possesion Brown forced a fumble at the Jacket 5-yard line and recovered it. The Jackets went down to score to make it 22-0 and never looked back.
LB Omar Pickering, So., Lake Forest
Pickering had 12 total tackles (eight solo), a tackle for loss and an interception in a 27-3 win against Monmouth.
DB Jeff Thomas, Sr., Redlands
Thomas had four interceptions and returned one for a 70-yard touchdown in a 37-0 win against Pomona-Pitzer. He also recorded four solo tackles.
DB Alex Hansen, So., Hardin-Simmons
Mississippi College had the ball, trailing 25-21 with less than two minutes to go in the game when Hansen picked off a pass from Payton Perrett and ran it back 33 yards for a touchdown to give the Cowboys some breathing room at 32-21. He then intercepted the Choctaws' next pass on its next possession to seal the game. Hansen finished with nine tackles, six solo.
DB Daron Reid, Sr., Western Connecticut
Reid picked off two passes and returned one 97 yards for a touchdown against Plymouth State, tying the Freedom Football Conference record. He also broke up four passes.
DB Tim Schimdt, Jr., Lycoming
Schmidt had two solo tackles and recorded two interceptions for Lycoming. He had 59 yards in interceptions returns and broke up two passes as Lycoming fell to Widener 20-14 in overtime.
Special teams
K Ryan Glab, Jr., Aurora
Glab was a perfect 6-for-6 on extra-point attempts and hit a 37-yard field goal in a 51-18 win against archrival Benedictine.
P Shawn Jackson, Fr., Newport News Apprentice
Jackson punted four times for a 43.3-yard average and also ran on 86 yards for a touchdown after a bad snap in a 34-14 win against Methodist.
RET Jim Schuller, Sr. Grinnell
Schuller returned at punt for a 77-yard touchdown, blocked a field goal attempt and punted five times for a 41.8 average.