SWC75
Bored Historian
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First round
(The top two seeds in each region- it’s not necessarily related to their ranking- get byes)
#20 North Greenville had an easy time with #24 Albany State, 63-14. They built up a 35-0 second quarter lead, giving them an incredible run of 145 straight points, (they scored the last 38 in a 54-7 win over Wingate and then beat Notre Dame College 62-0). Albany finally scored only to commit a personal foul on the extra point. They kicked off and the kick was retuned 75 yards for a touchdown with 22 seconds left in the half.
#13 North Alabama beat #18 West Alabama, 43-27. The Lions, who had won three D2 titles back in the 90’s under Bobby Wallace, ripped off 6 straight wins to open the season and had dreams of adding to their trophy case until losing to Delta State 24-30 and then West Alabama 26-31. They avenged their second loss in the playoffs with a 36-17 first half before coasting home. Quarterback Lee Chapple was 27 for 33 for 320 yards and two touchdowns while Chris Coffey ran for two scores. Now they get another shot at Delta State.
#5 Abilene Christian lost another wild one to #14 Washburn 49-52. They are famous for their shoot-outs. In 2008 they won the highest scoring college football game in history, a 93-68 duel with West Texas A&M, (formerly State). Last year they were eliminated in 41-55 loss to Central Missouri. This time 688 yards total offense, including 506 passing yards by Mitchell Gale weren’t enough. Gale paid a price with 7 sacks and three interceptions. Washburn scored on their first seven possessions to take a 45-21 and held on to win it, withstanding a 21 point run by the Wildcats. The “Ichabods”, (I kid you not), had 548 yards of their own. The clincher was a 61 year pass from Dane Simoneau to Ronnell Garner with 4:07 left. AC scored with 37 second remaining but Washburn recovered an onsides kick and ran out the clock.
Perennial power #7 Northwest Missouri bounced #17 Missouri Western 35-29. In a dominant regular season in which they’d scored 593 points, the Bearcats had lost only to Pittsburg State, 35-38 and Missouri Western 28-31. They are team to reckon with having played for the D2 title seven times since 1998 and won it three times. They got their revenge on Western despite giving up 16 points in the first four minutes of the game due to a fumble, a pick 6 and a 58 yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein, who later kicked field goals of 57 and 52 yards. But the Bearcats would not be denied, out-gaining the Griffons 455-186 and winning it with a 28-7 second half.
#10 Kutztown State squeaked by Concord 17-14. The Golden Bears won their first ever postseason game despite giving up 338 yards passing and being out first downed 11-26. The Mountain Lions had five turnovers, scored only twice in two red zone penetrations and were 1 for 4 on fourth down. 17 unanswered points in the second and third quarters held up for Kutztown.
#15 California of Pennsylvania shut out Elizabeth City State 44-0. The Vulcans, (I kid you not) held the Vikings to 197 yards and forced four turnovers while their quarterback, Peter Lalich, threw for was 26 of 34 for 357 yards and 3 TDs.
Wayne State upset #12 St. Cloud 48-38. The Warriors rallied from a 6-21 second quarter deficit. Toney Davis had a huge game, rushing for a school record 326 yards and 5 touchdowns.
#9 Minnesota-Duluth, winner of two of the last three national championships, slipped by Saginaw Valley State 30-27. The Bulldogs lost the passing battle, 84-324 but won the rushing battle 260-34. The game went into overtime and a 42 yard field goal by Saginaw’s Scott Sanford couldn’t match a 1 yard run by Chase Vogler.
Second Round
#20 North Greenville stayed on a roll, steaming past #19 Mars Hill, 58-32. Mars Hill had been the last team to beat them, 28-38 on September 24th and was the #1 seed in the region. It didn’t matter. North Greenville scored on the last play of the first half to take a 23-16 lead and then, in a disastrous third quarter for the favorite, they batted down a fourth down pass, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass and in each case drove for a touchdown. Then they returned an interception for a touchdown to make it 51-16. They got another pick six in the fourth quarter.
#8 Delta State had no trouble with #13 North Alabama, 42-14, proving their superiority by responding to a 7-14 first quarter deficit with 35 unanswered points. Their six touchdowns were scored by six different players. They out-rushed the Lions 228-44 and out-gained them 466-298.
#6 Pittsburg State eliminated Washburn #14, 31-22. It hardly seems far to match the Ichabods with the Gorillas but it was a good game. The underdogs scored first on a safety due to a bad snap on a punt and then a 17 yard touchdown pass from Daune Simoneau to Matt Kobbeman to take a 9-0 lead. A second quarter pick 6 made it 16-7 before Pitt State scored twice just before the half, on a two yard run by Mandell Dixon and a 38 yard pass from Zac Dickey to Anthony Castenanda. That was the turning point. The Gorillas added 10 more third quarter points to take control of the contest. They out-gained the Ichabods 408-238.
#7 Northwest Missouri bumped off #1 Midwestern State, 38-21. Midwestern State came in averaging 548 yards per game and like Missouri Western, dominated the early going, bolting out to a 28-10 second quarter lead. But the Bearcat scored just before the half and came back to tie the game at 41-31 with 4:56 left. The Mustangs missed a 27 yard field goal with 10 seconds left in regulation. Trevor Adams found Kyle Kilgore in the end zone from 13 yards for the winner. NW Missouri then held on fourth down to clinch it. This was a game between the two most productive offenses in D2 but blustery winds made passing difficult and the two teams combined for only 214 yards passing but rushed for 552.
#11 New Haven won a shoot-out over #10 Kutztown State, 44-37, Ryan Osiecki threw for 433 yards for the Chargers while Marshall Vogel threw for 356 yards for Kutztown. Both threw 5 touchdown passes. They key was 17 unanswered points New Haven got on a series of fourth quarter turnovers that gave them a 44-31 lead with 1:38 left. Kutztown scored on a 25 yard pass on the game’s last play but it was too little too late.
#4 Winston-Salem eliminated #15 California of Pennsylvania 35-28. The Vulcans had a much harder time with this Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, (all historically black colleges), opponent, going down despite 387 yards and two scores from quarterback Peter Lalich, who also threw three interceptions. The Rams built up a 35-14 lead and held on to win behind 122 yards rushing and two scores from Nicholas Cooper.
Wayne State pulled off another upset, this time over #3 Nebraska-Kearney, 38-26. This time they jumped out to a 31-0 lead halftime, thanks to a couple of interceptions that produced scores. Toney Davis was held to 69 yards rushing but Josh Renel got 122 and 2 TDs. Kearney, who actually outgained the Warriors 434-329, mounted a second-half comeback but never got closer than the final score , which was achieved with 3 seconds left in the game.
Minnesota-Duluth knocked off #2 Colorado State-Pueblo 24-21. The Bulldogs pulled out another tight one on a one yard run by Brian Lucas with 8:23 left in the fourth quarter. It was a defensive duel and Duluth only had 287 yards but Pueblo only got 224, including a 204-91 difference on the ground.
This week’s games:
#20 North Greenville 11-2 (538-240) at #8 Delta State 10-2 (417-293)
#7 Northwest Missouri 11-2 (665-283) at #6 Pittsburg State 11-1 (438-222)
#11 New Haven 11-1 (516-280) at #4 Winston-Salem 12-0 (513-196)
Wayne State 10-3 (477-308) at #9 Minnesota-Duluth 11-2 (387-234)
Comments: Northwest Missouri, Delta State and Minnesota Duluth have won 6 of the last 13 national championships in this division between them. Pittsburg State won two NAIA titles decades back and the 1991 NCAA D2 title. No historically black college has ever won this division but Winston Salem is both the highest ranked remaining team and the only undefeated one.
UPDATE:
Delta State ended North Greenville’s run, 28-23. Richard Freelon rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Delta dominated the first half except for turnovers, scoring on two long drives but turning the ball over in their own territory twice and giving up scores. A late field goal gave the visitors a 17-14 halftime lead. After a scoreless third period, three more long fourth quarter drives clinched it for the Statesmen, the first two resulting in touchdowns and the third allowing them to run out the clock.
Wayne State’s run of upsets continued as they toppled Minnesota-Duluth, who had won last year’s title and two of the last three, 31-25.
Pittsburg State looked impressive in demolishing Northwest Missouri, 41-16, following up a 38-35 regular season win over the same team. After spotting the visitors a 0-10 first quarter lead, the Gorillas outscored them 41-6 in the last three quarters. Zac Dickey threw four touchdown passes, three to John Brown. State outgained NWM 527-297. .
Winston Salem, looking to be the first historically black college to win this division, had no trouble with New Haven, 27-7. Kameron Smith hit Jameze Massey for TD passes of 48 and 33 yards while Nicholas Cooper ran for 152 yards and a score, including a 72 yarder in which he was caught on the one yard line.
This week’s games:
#8 Delta State 11-2 (445-315) at #6 Pittsburg State 12-1 (479-238)
Wayne State (11-3 508-333) at #4 Winston-Salem 13-0 (540-203)
FURTHER UPDATE: Wayne State continued their Cinderella run to the finals by knocking off Winston-Salem, the only undefeated team in the division, 21-14. The Rams had been averaging 42 points a game. The 14 points they scored in this game were a season low. Wayne got a touchdown pass from quarterback Mickey Mohner and he ran for another. The third score came after a fumble was run to the one yard line from where Chet Privett bulled over to make it 21-7. Wayne State has never been close to winning a title and was unranked. Winston Salem was trying to become only the second historically black college, (and the first since Florida A&M won the initial 1AA title in 1978), to win an NCAA divisional championship.
Pittsburg State, who’d won NAIA titles in 1957 and 1961, (they were also the wire service polls selection as “National Small College Champion” the latter year), and an NCAA Division II title in 1991, (they’ve played in the title game three times since) will be their opponent. They crushed Delta State 49-23. The Gorillas blew the game open with three touchdowns in the final three minutes of the first half. Taking advantage of a couple of turnovers, they got TD passes of 38 yards, 30 yards and 36 yards to take a 35-13 halftime lead. The opportunistic winners also got a 76 yard punt return and a 91 yard interception return for a score. Delta State actually gained more yards, 465-450 but the Gorillas, (who sit where they want to), got all the big plays.
Championship Game:
#6 Pittsburgh State 13-1 (528-261) vs. unranked Wayne State 12-3 (529-347)
The Championship Game will be played on Saturday, December 17th at 11AM, (yes 11AM EST), and will be televised on ESPN2
STILL ANOTHER UPDATE:
Wayne State had never played a post-season football game in their history. Their only NCAA national championship ever was in women’s fencing. They lost three regular season games, (by a total of 12 points) and went into the national tournament as a #6 seed (of 6) in their region. They were the last team chosen. Hillsdale, which won their conference, wasn’t invited. Their coach wasn’t watching the selection show and had to be called to be told his team was in. He was washing the team’s uniforms at the time.
They upset St. Cloud 38-28. They upset Nebraska-Kearney 38-26. They upset Minnesota-Duluth 31-25. They upset Winston-Salem State 21-14 and found themselves in the national championship game vs. the Gorillas of Pittsburg State, a three time national champion, (including NAIA and poll titles won in 1957 and 1961) and four time national runner-up. One of the great things about playoffs in college ball is that teams mature as the season goes along. These are not 25-30 year old professionals who have been playing together for years. You have to start all over again and build the team each year. Without a playoff, any loss would have condemned them to irrelevance. Here we get to see them still playing for the title at their peak.
But their coach turned into a pumpkin against Pittsburg State. The Warriors threw an early scare into the Gorillas, running back the opening kick-off for a score and then, after giving up 10 points on three turnovers, putting to get a long drive that ended with the first of two 1 yard TD plunges by Toney Davis, who ran for 178 yards. The game turned around in the second quarter on a 80 yard return of a blocked field goal by Pitt State’s Aries Herrion, which gave them the lead for good at 20-14. They got another score before halftime and the 27-14 score held up until Davis’ second score in the fourth period. Pitt State answered with a scoring drive of their own, Jason Spradling going over from the 4 with 2:38 left. A pass for the conversion made the final 35-21 and The Gorillas, (maybe my favorite team nickname), had their fourth national championship and second in Division II.
(The top two seeds in each region- it’s not necessarily related to their ranking- get byes)
#20 North Greenville had an easy time with #24 Albany State, 63-14. They built up a 35-0 second quarter lead, giving them an incredible run of 145 straight points, (they scored the last 38 in a 54-7 win over Wingate and then beat Notre Dame College 62-0). Albany finally scored only to commit a personal foul on the extra point. They kicked off and the kick was retuned 75 yards for a touchdown with 22 seconds left in the half.
#13 North Alabama beat #18 West Alabama, 43-27. The Lions, who had won three D2 titles back in the 90’s under Bobby Wallace, ripped off 6 straight wins to open the season and had dreams of adding to their trophy case until losing to Delta State 24-30 and then West Alabama 26-31. They avenged their second loss in the playoffs with a 36-17 first half before coasting home. Quarterback Lee Chapple was 27 for 33 for 320 yards and two touchdowns while Chris Coffey ran for two scores. Now they get another shot at Delta State.
#5 Abilene Christian lost another wild one to #14 Washburn 49-52. They are famous for their shoot-outs. In 2008 they won the highest scoring college football game in history, a 93-68 duel with West Texas A&M, (formerly State). Last year they were eliminated in 41-55 loss to Central Missouri. This time 688 yards total offense, including 506 passing yards by Mitchell Gale weren’t enough. Gale paid a price with 7 sacks and three interceptions. Washburn scored on their first seven possessions to take a 45-21 and held on to win it, withstanding a 21 point run by the Wildcats. The “Ichabods”, (I kid you not), had 548 yards of their own. The clincher was a 61 year pass from Dane Simoneau to Ronnell Garner with 4:07 left. AC scored with 37 second remaining but Washburn recovered an onsides kick and ran out the clock.
Perennial power #7 Northwest Missouri bounced #17 Missouri Western 35-29. In a dominant regular season in which they’d scored 593 points, the Bearcats had lost only to Pittsburg State, 35-38 and Missouri Western 28-31. They are team to reckon with having played for the D2 title seven times since 1998 and won it three times. They got their revenge on Western despite giving up 16 points in the first four minutes of the game due to a fumble, a pick 6 and a 58 yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein, who later kicked field goals of 57 and 52 yards. But the Bearcats would not be denied, out-gaining the Griffons 455-186 and winning it with a 28-7 second half.
#10 Kutztown State squeaked by Concord 17-14. The Golden Bears won their first ever postseason game despite giving up 338 yards passing and being out first downed 11-26. The Mountain Lions had five turnovers, scored only twice in two red zone penetrations and were 1 for 4 on fourth down. 17 unanswered points in the second and third quarters held up for Kutztown.
#15 California of Pennsylvania shut out Elizabeth City State 44-0. The Vulcans, (I kid you not) held the Vikings to 197 yards and forced four turnovers while their quarterback, Peter Lalich, threw for was 26 of 34 for 357 yards and 3 TDs.
Wayne State upset #12 St. Cloud 48-38. The Warriors rallied from a 6-21 second quarter deficit. Toney Davis had a huge game, rushing for a school record 326 yards and 5 touchdowns.
#9 Minnesota-Duluth, winner of two of the last three national championships, slipped by Saginaw Valley State 30-27. The Bulldogs lost the passing battle, 84-324 but won the rushing battle 260-34. The game went into overtime and a 42 yard field goal by Saginaw’s Scott Sanford couldn’t match a 1 yard run by Chase Vogler.
Second Round
#20 North Greenville stayed on a roll, steaming past #19 Mars Hill, 58-32. Mars Hill had been the last team to beat them, 28-38 on September 24th and was the #1 seed in the region. It didn’t matter. North Greenville scored on the last play of the first half to take a 23-16 lead and then, in a disastrous third quarter for the favorite, they batted down a fourth down pass, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass and in each case drove for a touchdown. Then they returned an interception for a touchdown to make it 51-16. They got another pick six in the fourth quarter.
#8 Delta State had no trouble with #13 North Alabama, 42-14, proving their superiority by responding to a 7-14 first quarter deficit with 35 unanswered points. Their six touchdowns were scored by six different players. They out-rushed the Lions 228-44 and out-gained them 466-298.
#6 Pittsburg State eliminated Washburn #14, 31-22. It hardly seems far to match the Ichabods with the Gorillas but it was a good game. The underdogs scored first on a safety due to a bad snap on a punt and then a 17 yard touchdown pass from Daune Simoneau to Matt Kobbeman to take a 9-0 lead. A second quarter pick 6 made it 16-7 before Pitt State scored twice just before the half, on a two yard run by Mandell Dixon and a 38 yard pass from Zac Dickey to Anthony Castenanda. That was the turning point. The Gorillas added 10 more third quarter points to take control of the contest. They out-gained the Ichabods 408-238.
#7 Northwest Missouri bumped off #1 Midwestern State, 38-21. Midwestern State came in averaging 548 yards per game and like Missouri Western, dominated the early going, bolting out to a 28-10 second quarter lead. But the Bearcat scored just before the half and came back to tie the game at 41-31 with 4:56 left. The Mustangs missed a 27 yard field goal with 10 seconds left in regulation. Trevor Adams found Kyle Kilgore in the end zone from 13 yards for the winner. NW Missouri then held on fourth down to clinch it. This was a game between the two most productive offenses in D2 but blustery winds made passing difficult and the two teams combined for only 214 yards passing but rushed for 552.
#11 New Haven won a shoot-out over #10 Kutztown State, 44-37, Ryan Osiecki threw for 433 yards for the Chargers while Marshall Vogel threw for 356 yards for Kutztown. Both threw 5 touchdown passes. They key was 17 unanswered points New Haven got on a series of fourth quarter turnovers that gave them a 44-31 lead with 1:38 left. Kutztown scored on a 25 yard pass on the game’s last play but it was too little too late.
#4 Winston-Salem eliminated #15 California of Pennsylvania 35-28. The Vulcans had a much harder time with this Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, (all historically black colleges), opponent, going down despite 387 yards and two scores from quarterback Peter Lalich, who also threw three interceptions. The Rams built up a 35-14 lead and held on to win behind 122 yards rushing and two scores from Nicholas Cooper.
Wayne State pulled off another upset, this time over #3 Nebraska-Kearney, 38-26. This time they jumped out to a 31-0 lead halftime, thanks to a couple of interceptions that produced scores. Toney Davis was held to 69 yards rushing but Josh Renel got 122 and 2 TDs. Kearney, who actually outgained the Warriors 434-329, mounted a second-half comeback but never got closer than the final score , which was achieved with 3 seconds left in the game.
Minnesota-Duluth knocked off #2 Colorado State-Pueblo 24-21. The Bulldogs pulled out another tight one on a one yard run by Brian Lucas with 8:23 left in the fourth quarter. It was a defensive duel and Duluth only had 287 yards but Pueblo only got 224, including a 204-91 difference on the ground.
This week’s games:
#20 North Greenville 11-2 (538-240) at #8 Delta State 10-2 (417-293)
#7 Northwest Missouri 11-2 (665-283) at #6 Pittsburg State 11-1 (438-222)
#11 New Haven 11-1 (516-280) at #4 Winston-Salem 12-0 (513-196)
Wayne State 10-3 (477-308) at #9 Minnesota-Duluth 11-2 (387-234)
Comments: Northwest Missouri, Delta State and Minnesota Duluth have won 6 of the last 13 national championships in this division between them. Pittsburg State won two NAIA titles decades back and the 1991 NCAA D2 title. No historically black college has ever won this division but Winston Salem is both the highest ranked remaining team and the only undefeated one.
UPDATE:
Delta State ended North Greenville’s run, 28-23. Richard Freelon rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Delta dominated the first half except for turnovers, scoring on two long drives but turning the ball over in their own territory twice and giving up scores. A late field goal gave the visitors a 17-14 halftime lead. After a scoreless third period, three more long fourth quarter drives clinched it for the Statesmen, the first two resulting in touchdowns and the third allowing them to run out the clock.
Wayne State’s run of upsets continued as they toppled Minnesota-Duluth, who had won last year’s title and two of the last three, 31-25.
Pittsburg State looked impressive in demolishing Northwest Missouri, 41-16, following up a 38-35 regular season win over the same team. After spotting the visitors a 0-10 first quarter lead, the Gorillas outscored them 41-6 in the last three quarters. Zac Dickey threw four touchdown passes, three to John Brown. State outgained NWM 527-297. .
Winston Salem, looking to be the first historically black college to win this division, had no trouble with New Haven, 27-7. Kameron Smith hit Jameze Massey for TD passes of 48 and 33 yards while Nicholas Cooper ran for 152 yards and a score, including a 72 yarder in which he was caught on the one yard line.
This week’s games:
#8 Delta State 11-2 (445-315) at #6 Pittsburg State 12-1 (479-238)
Wayne State (11-3 508-333) at #4 Winston-Salem 13-0 (540-203)
FURTHER UPDATE: Wayne State continued their Cinderella run to the finals by knocking off Winston-Salem, the only undefeated team in the division, 21-14. The Rams had been averaging 42 points a game. The 14 points they scored in this game were a season low. Wayne got a touchdown pass from quarterback Mickey Mohner and he ran for another. The third score came after a fumble was run to the one yard line from where Chet Privett bulled over to make it 21-7. Wayne State has never been close to winning a title and was unranked. Winston Salem was trying to become only the second historically black college, (and the first since Florida A&M won the initial 1AA title in 1978), to win an NCAA divisional championship.
Pittsburg State, who’d won NAIA titles in 1957 and 1961, (they were also the wire service polls selection as “National Small College Champion” the latter year), and an NCAA Division II title in 1991, (they’ve played in the title game three times since) will be their opponent. They crushed Delta State 49-23. The Gorillas blew the game open with three touchdowns in the final three minutes of the first half. Taking advantage of a couple of turnovers, they got TD passes of 38 yards, 30 yards and 36 yards to take a 35-13 halftime lead. The opportunistic winners also got a 76 yard punt return and a 91 yard interception return for a score. Delta State actually gained more yards, 465-450 but the Gorillas, (who sit where they want to), got all the big plays.
Championship Game:
#6 Pittsburgh State 13-1 (528-261) vs. unranked Wayne State 12-3 (529-347)
The Championship Game will be played on Saturday, December 17th at 11AM, (yes 11AM EST), and will be televised on ESPN2
STILL ANOTHER UPDATE:
Wayne State had never played a post-season football game in their history. Their only NCAA national championship ever was in women’s fencing. They lost three regular season games, (by a total of 12 points) and went into the national tournament as a #6 seed (of 6) in their region. They were the last team chosen. Hillsdale, which won their conference, wasn’t invited. Their coach wasn’t watching the selection show and had to be called to be told his team was in. He was washing the team’s uniforms at the time.
They upset St. Cloud 38-28. They upset Nebraska-Kearney 38-26. They upset Minnesota-Duluth 31-25. They upset Winston-Salem State 21-14 and found themselves in the national championship game vs. the Gorillas of Pittsburg State, a three time national champion, (including NAIA and poll titles won in 1957 and 1961) and four time national runner-up. One of the great things about playoffs in college ball is that teams mature as the season goes along. These are not 25-30 year old professionals who have been playing together for years. You have to start all over again and build the team each year. Without a playoff, any loss would have condemned them to irrelevance. Here we get to see them still playing for the title at their peak.
But their coach turned into a pumpkin against Pittsburg State. The Warriors threw an early scare into the Gorillas, running back the opening kick-off for a score and then, after giving up 10 points on three turnovers, putting to get a long drive that ended with the first of two 1 yard TD plunges by Toney Davis, who ran for 178 yards. The game turned around in the second quarter on a 80 yard return of a blocked field goal by Pitt State’s Aries Herrion, which gave them the lead for good at 20-14. They got another score before halftime and the 27-14 score held up until Davis’ second score in the fourth period. Pitt State answered with a scoring drive of their own, Jason Spradling going over from the 4 with 2:38 left. A pass for the conversion made the final 35-21 and The Gorillas, (maybe my favorite team nickname), had their fourth national championship and second in Division II.
