Playoffs! NAIA, D3, D2 and FCS | Syracusefan.com

Playoffs! NAIA, D3, D2 and FCS

SWC75

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NAIA

SEMI-FINAL results and FINALS match-up

Both Semi-Finals were wild, entertaining high scoring games:

St. Francis of Indiana, the defending champs, subdued high scoring Morningside College of Iowa 43-36. The Cougars jumped out to a 19-3 first quarter lead and then held on for dear life. The Mustangs pulled to within 20-25 by the end of the third quarter and took a 28-25 lead early in the fourth before the home team took command with 18 unanswered points. Morningside scored with 17 seconds left and converted a two point attempt before an onsides-kick failed and ended the affair.
On the prowl: #1 Cougars hold on for ticket to NAIA title tilt

Reinhardt College of Georgia made it to the finals for the first time with a 37-34 overtime win over Southern Oregon, who made the final in 2014-15 and won it that first year. Reinhardt was up 21-17 and trying to run out the clock with a minute and a half left in regulation when a fumble was returned for a score by Southern, giving them a shocking 24-21 lead. But a long kick-off return and a penalty set up the game typing 49 yard field goal by Nick Marquez that resulted in the overtime after a fumbled punt by the Eagle and a missed 50 yard field goals by the Raiders. The teams traded touchdowns but then, after the Eagles forced a field goal, Trevor Cain scored from the 2 to decide the issue.
Reinhardt takes semifinal thriller from SOU in overtime

The championship game will take place at Daytona Beach on Saturday, December 16th at 6PM on ESPN3, (Watch ESPN). The match-up:

ST. FRANCIS (Ind) 13-0 (589-228) ranked #1 record: 30-15 (1)
Vs.
REINHARDT (Ga) 12-0 (556-166) ranked #2 record: 5-2
(Note: Reinhardt didn’t field a team between 1921-2012. They stated their program up again in 2013 after 93 seasons.)

NCAA Division 3

SEMI-FINAL result and FINALS match-up

Mount Union, the perennial powerhouse, played a classic gaem with relative newcomer, Wisconsin Oshkosh, coming back from a 10-35 deficit at Oshkosh to win 43-40 after a furious rally. Oshkosh, who made it to the final game last year and who seems, for the moment anyway, to have displaced Mount Union’s old rival, Wisconsin-Whitewater, as the best program in the powerful Wisconsin Conference, looked as if everything was going their way when the Purple Raiders proved they aren’t just front-runners:
Mount Union rallies from 25 down to win

“Top-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor won its 29th consecutive game and punched a return trip to the national championship game with another stifling defensive effort as the Cru rolled to a 24-0 victory vs. No. 10 Brockport in the national semifinals.”
UMHB defense keeps title defense alive

The “Cru” beat Oshkosh for the title last year, the first one not won by Mount Union or Whitewater since 2004. They beat the Purple Raiders 14-12 in the semi-finals that year. They also beat them in the semi-finals in 2004, 38-35, when they lost to Linfield in the finals.

The championship game will be played 7PM Friday, December 15 at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The game will be televised on ESPNU (channel 370 on Spectrum in Syracuse)

MOUNT UNION (Ohio) 14-0 (747-192) ranked: #2 record: 97-15 (12)
Vs.
MARY HARDIN BAYLOR (Tx) 14-0 (534-98) ranked: #1 record: 36-14 (1)
A defense in modern football who still hasn’t given up their 100th point through 14 games deserves a great deal of respect.

NCAA Division 2

SEMI-FINAL results and FINALS match-up

Note: I had the semi-final match-ups mixed up, (I think they were wrong on the site I got them from.)

West Florida continued their incredible Cinderella story. They started their program up only last year. They lost three games this season but have won their way into the D2 national championship game by beating #1 ranked Indian (Pennsylvania) 27-17, their fourth consecutive rood victory in the playoffs. They jumped off to a shocking 24-0 lead, saw the home team close to within 24-17. A 13 play drive led to the clinching field goal:
West Florida holds off Indiana (Pa) 27-17 in D-II semifinal

Texas A&M- Commerce, (formerly East Texas State) made it to their first ever D2 final, 9they won the NAIA in 1972), with a 31-17 win over Harding University of Arkansas. The clincher was a 90 yard touchdown pass with 3:50 left in the game.
Texas A&M Commerce beats Harding 31-17 in D-II semifinal

The championship game will be played Saturday, December 16 at 6PM on ESPN2

WEST FLORIDA 11-3 (393-284) rank: unranked record: 4-0
Lost to Valdosta State 19-30, Delta State 25-28 and West Alabama 18-35
Vs.
TEXAS A&M - COMMERCE 13-1 (520-224) rank: #8 record: 10-5 (1)
Lost to Midwestern State 42-47


NCAA FCS

QUARTER-FINAL results and SEMI-FINAL match-ups

One year to the day after they buried then #1 ranked Sam Houston State 65-7 in last year’s quarterfinals, (the most one-sided game I have ever seen: it was 65-0 midway through the third period), defending national champion James Madison looked very shaky, (potatoes?) in this year’s quarterfinal win over Weber State. But they still pulled it out 31-28, to advance. The Wildcats scored with 3:14 left to take a 28-20 lead and could smell the upset. But the Dukes scored barely a minute later, converted a two point attempt and got the ball back, kicking a 46 yard field goal on the final play to advance:
Weber State vs. James Madison - Game Recap - December 8, 2017 - ESPN

South Dakota State, the only team to beat North Dakota State this year, buried New Hampshire 56-14 to earn the next crack at the defending champion Dukes. They looked most formidable bolding to a 35-0 lead before the Wildcats finally scored.
New Hampshire vs. South Dakota State - Game Recap - December 9, 2017 - ESPN

Perennial contender Sam Houston State, who has yet to win the title, (they did win a share of an NAIA crown in 1964), advanced to the semi-finals with a 34-27 win over newly minted contender Kennesaw State, who just began their football program three years ago. “The matchup featured Kennesaw's No. 1-ranked rushing attack in the FCS, which gained 352 yards on 64 carries, and Sam Houston's No. 1 passing attack led by Jeremiah Briscoe. The senior quarterback threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Yedidiah Louis.” Once upon a time the top rushing team would beat the top passing team but this is 2017.
Kennesaw State vs. Sam Houston State - Game Recap - December 9, 2017 - ESPN

North Dakota State, who set an all-time college football record with 5 straight championships from 2011-2015 before losing in the semis to James Madison last year, has been tearing through the playoffs with a 38-3 win over San Diego and then a 42-10 crushing of Wofford. The Terriers, a wishbone team, took themselves out of the game with a series of turnovers in the second quarter that turned a 14-10 game into 35-10 game at halftime. The Bison beat Sam Houston for the 2011 and 2012 titles and beat them in the semis in 2014 by a combined 91-22.
http://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401002979

The Semi-final match-ups:

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 11-2 (505-284) rank: #6 record: 5-6
Lost to Northern Iowa 18-38 and Youngstown State 7-19
At (Saturday December 16, 4:30PM on ESPNU – Channel 370 on Spectrum in Syracuse)
JAMES MADISON 13-0 (452-134) rank: #1 record:15-11 (2)

SAM HOUSTON STATE 12-1 (593-382) rank: #5 record: 23-12-1 (1)
Lost to Central Arkansas 30-41
At (Friday, December 15, 8PM on ESPN2)
NORTH DAKOTA STATE 12-1 (509-148) rank: #4 record: 57-14 (13)
Lost to South Dakota State 21-33
 

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