The game-winning two-point conversion in overtime set off a huge Central celebration. Central athletics photo by Dan L. Vander Beek Photography

Central coughed up a huge lead, but got the win on a gutsy two-point call in overtime as the Dutch outlasted Wartburg in overtime, while RPI bombed Ithaca, all but eliminating Ithaca from playoff contention.

• Full Week 10 scoreboard
• Saturday's Top 25 roundup
• Saturday's national roundup
• Even more game stories

Wartburg rallied with five consecutive touchdowns in the third quarter and tied the game late in regulation, with Central looking gassed on defense. But the Dutch had enough to get to overtime. After Wartburg scored first in the extra session, Central got runs of 9 and 4 yards from quarterback Blaine Hawkins, two runs of 6 yards from Jason Hopp, and another 4-yard run from Hawkins to set it up at the 2-yard line. Hunter Robinson ran it in for the touchdown, cutting the lead to 56-55. And Central never took its offense off the field. After a Wartburg time out, Central split its offensive line out wide to each side and Hawkins threw a low ball out to the left, which Robinson caught and fought his way into the end zone for the two-point conversion.

"Even when overtime started I was still planning on kicking it but then how things shook out when they had the ball, I felt like our best shot was to do it right then and there and win the game," Central coach Jeff McMartin said. "That decision was made when we got the ball."

The play was almost scratched. Central hoped to pull a surprise at the line of scrimmage with splitting the linemen. But the resulting look the Dutch expected from the Wartburg defense didn't materialize and McMartin frantically tried to call time out. He was too late.

Hawkins struggled in the second half, finishing 22-for-40 passing for 326 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, but also ran for 127 yards and a score. It overshadowes a huge comeback by Wartburg, which fell to its first loss of the season. Noah Dodd was 27-for-41 passing for 352 yards and five touchdowns, with Kolin Schulte and JoJo McNair catching two TDs apiece. 

Central needs to beat Coe next week to clinch the ARC automatic bid.

RPI scored on each of its first three possessions for a 21-0 lead and the Engineers were never challenged as they defeated No. 17 Ithaca 38-12. RPI, which caused two first quarter turnovers, improve to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the conference, while the Bombers lost their second consecutive game, falling to 7-2 and almost certainly out of NCAA playoff contention. Bombers quarterback Joe Germinerio was 22-for-37 passing for 248 yards and was pitcked off twice in the first half as RPI rolled out to a 31-0 lead. RPI quarterback George Marinopoulos finished 16-for-18 passing for 175 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor leapt out to a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and rolled the rest of the way, defeating No. 25 Texas Lutheran 41-3. The Cru (9-0, 8-0 ASC) clinched the automatic bid from the American Southwest Conference. The Bulldogs, who returned three turnovers for touchdowns in a win earlier this season against Hardin-Simmons, got no turnovers from the Cru and gave up a pick-six of their own, as Jacob Mueller returned an interception 93 yards for a score in the final minute. It was the third interception for UMHB in the game. Jase Hammack threw for 123 yards and a sore on 11-for-16 passing, while receiver Jaylan Jenkins hit Jonel Reed for a 61-yard TD and Marquis Duncan ran for 100 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

Berry returned to the scene of Justus Edwards' life-threatening injury and came away with the win, as well as new life for the automatic bid from the SAA. The Vikings' 45-22 win, combined with a loss by Birmingham-Southern at Trinity (Texas), puts Berry back in the driver's seat. Isaiah Dawson had 20 carries for 274 yards and a score in the win, while Darius Barnum added another 102 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.

Justus Edwards just WALKED to the exact spot he was injured last season. Bigger than football. #14Strong #WeAllRow #GoldRush #d3fb https://t.co/QhgoE6IGeC

— Berry Athletics (@BerryVikings) November 9, 2019

John Carroll quarterback Jake Floriea threw four interceptions, but the No. 10 Blue Streaks were able to use a steady dose of Michael Canganelli to wear down Heidelberg in a 17-13 win. Canganelli got 37 carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns, the last of them coming with 7:37 left. Heidelberg went three-and-out after the touchdowns, and Canganelli embarked on a run of nine carries for 46 yards, with Floriea adding a 19-yard run into the red zone. From there, JCU kneeled out the game, running the final 5:42 off the clock.

Colton Smith pulled in a 2-yard pass from older brother Wyatt Smith in overtime, vaulting Linfield to an emotional 38-31 victory over Whitworth at the Whitworth Pine Bowl. The Wildcats (7-1, 6-0 NWC) overcame 24 consecutive points by the defending NWC champion Pirates, clinching the program's 10th NWC title in 11 years. Linfield scored the game's final 17 points. Wyatt Smith passed for five touchdowns and a season-high 421 yards.

Salisbury scored on its opening possession Saturday at TCNJ. Two plays after an Octavion Wilson 48-yard reception put the Sea Gulls in the red zone, Michael Fowler took a pitch play 12 yards to put the opening points on the board. And it was off to the races, as Salisbury led 34-7 at the end of the first quarter en route to a 62-20 win. The victory gave Salisbury the NJAC's automatic bid.

UW-Whitewater got one win closer to clinching the WIAC title, as backup quarterback Max Meylor hit Ryan Wisniewski for two fourth-quarter touchdowns to help the Warhawks get past UW-Stout 37-17. Meylor came in late in the second quarter after starter Zach Oles had gone 7-for-15 for 56 yards and had rushed for a touchdown. Meylor got into field goal range for Wojciech Gasienica, who kicked a 41-yarder to give the Warhawks (9-0, 6-0 WIAC) a 13-3 halftime lead. UW-Stout (3-6, 2-4) posted a 15-play, 96-yard drive to draw within 16-10 with 1:25 to go in the third. The Warhawks responded quickly as Meylor found Wisniewski for a 39-yard pass before completing the three-play drive with an 18-yard touchdown run up the middle for a 23-10 lead with 10 seconds left in the period. Stout cut the lead to six before Wisniewski's two scores put it away.

Bridgewater won its 13th consecutive game and clinched the Old Dominion Athletic Conference title in the process as the Eagles defeated Randolph-Macon 28-21. Down 21-0 at the half, the Yellow Jackets brought former starting quarterback Burke Estes back off the bench and he helped Macon get back into it with two touchdowns, but Demetreus Jalepes broke right up the middle for 71 yards and a 28-13 lead. Jalepes finished with 12 carries for 169 yards and a touchdown on the ground and through the air. Bridgewater appeared to have locked up the game when Chase Rosenthal intercepted Estes in the final three minutes, but wide receiver DeAndre Gill made an incredible hustle play to force a fumble and get possession back. Estes carried it in and the Yellow Jackets looked to convert an onsides kick for the second straight week but Matt Dang covered it up to clinch the championship.

St. John's bounced back from last week's baffling loss to Concordia-Moorhead, and kicker Colin Kummer made all 10 of his extra-point attempts, his first 10 of the season. SJU (8-1, 7-1 MIAC) outgained Hamline (1-8, 0-7) by a 550-121 margin and scored touchdowns on its first six offensive possessions in clinching the MIAC's automatic bid.

For the second time in three years, Chapman is headed to the postseason. The No. 15-ranked Panthers (8-0, 6-0 SCIAC) cruised to a 41-17 win over visiting Claremont-Mudd-Scripps to claim at least a share of the SCIAC title and the conference's automatic bid. The Panthers had a 27-0 lead at halftime and forced four turnovers in the dominant effort to claim the conference crown. Chapman held CMS (4-5, 2-4) to just 243 total yards – 217 of which came in the second half after the game was well in hand.

Case Western Reserve will make its fifth NCAA Division III playoff appearance, after securing the Presidents' Athletic Conference automatic bid with a 27-24 win at Waynesburg (1-8, 1-7 PAC). The Spartans led 27-10 going into the fourth quarter before the Yellow Jackets scored twice, once with 7 seconds left. Travis Johnston scored on an 87-yard kickoff return to open the game as well as a 1-yard run early in the third quarter.

Marcellus Pack ran for two second-half touchdowns, the second one an 87-yard run with 1:12 remaining in the game as No. 12 Wesley kept its at-large chances alive with a 27-13 win vs. Kean. The Cougars (3-6, 2-4 NJAC) went up early with a 33-yard pick-six by Kyeon Taylor, and maintained their lead after a Wesley safety and field goal. But Kean was able to take a 13-12 lead into the halftime locker room before Pack capped one 87-yard drive with a touchdown and made the second 87-yard drive happen all by himself in the win. Two quarterbacks combined to go 20-for-41 with three interceptions for Wesley (8-1, 5-1).

Freshman backup quarterback Braxton Plunk played in each of the first three quarters as D'Angelo Fulford got plenty of rest and Plunk got plenty of reps. No. 1 Mount Union clinched the OAC title with a 51-3 win against Muskingum. Plunk shows all the signs of being the next man up for the Purple Raiders, and completed 13 of 17 passes for 221 yards and a score in the win. Josh Petruccelli had 125 yards and two TDs on nine carries.