FCS QUARTERFINALS
NORTH DAKOTA STATE 23, NORTHERN IOWA 13
FARGO, N.D. -- An evenly-matched playoff game between conference rivals North Dakota State and Northern Iowa might have been decided in a matter of seconds.
Bison true freshman Bruce Anderson returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown to spark the four-time defending FCS champions to a 23-13 victory over Northern Iowa in a hard-fought quarterfinal game Saturday before more than 18,000 fans inside a deafening Fargodome.
It was the second consecutive week that Anderson, 18, took a kickoff all the way. This time Anderson appeared to be corralled at the NDSU 40, but spun out of the tackle and sprinted in on a 97-yard scoring play to turn a three-point halftime deficit into a 14-10 lead.
"We talked at half. Somebody had to make a play," NDSU Coach Chris Klieman said. "If you have the ability to make a play, you've got to do it. I didn't know it would be in the first six seconds."
The Bison never relinquished the lead, thanks in large part to an inspired defense and the work of standout punter Ben LeCompte. LeCompte pinned the Panthers offense to their goal line twice in the second half, including one that led to a clinching safety when Brian Schaetz tackled Panthers quarterback Aaron Bailey to make it 23-13 with 2:57 left.
"We fought until the bitter end to try and win that football game," Northern Iowa Coach Mark Farley said. "It still came down to that kickoff return."
The Bison (11-2) advance to next week's semifinal game against Richmond, which surprised last year's FCS runner-up Illinois State on Friday.
In another FSC quarterfinal game Saturday, Jeremiah Briscoe threw for 358 yards and four touchdowns to lead Sam Houston State to a 48-21 victory over Colgate. Sam Houston (11-3) faces top-seeded Jacksonville State in the semifinals. The Bearkats are the semifinals for the fourth time in five years. Briscoe was 28 of 42 in his second start of the season -- the first since a 59-7 victory over Incarnate Word on Oct. 10 -- and had touchdown passes of 26, 8 and 18 yards in the first half and as Sam Houston jumped out to a 28-7 lead with less than six minutes remaining in the opening half.
DIVISION II SEMIFINALS
Shepherd survives rally
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Backup quarterback Connor Jessop threw two touchdown passes and Shepherd survived a last-minute two-point conversion attempt to hold off Grand Valley State in a Division II semifinal.
Shepherd advances to Kansas City on Dec. 19 for the NCAA Division II national championship where it will face Northwest Missouri State.
It will be the first D-II title appearance in school history for the Rams (13-0).
Grand Valley State (12-3) came back to within two late in the fourth quarter when Bart Williams capped a six-play, 75-yard drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Matt Williams. But Williams' two-point conversion pass to Urston Smith fell incomplete.
Shepherd starting quarterback Jeff Ziemba was injured early in the first quarter. His status for the D-II title game is not known.
In the other Division II semifinal game Saturday, Brady Bolles threw two touchdown passes, including a 64-yarder with 4:29 left, and Northwest Missouri State advanced to the Division II National Championship game with a 38-23 victory over West Georgia. After being held scoreless in the second half and seeing their 24-6 first half lead dwindle to 24-23, Bolles hit George Sehl in single coverage on a go-route on the outside to take a 31-23 lead.
DIVISION III SEMIFINALS
Mount Union still perfect
ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Logan Nemeth ran for 214 yards and two touchdowns and top-ranked Mount Union beat defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater 36-6 to advance to the NCAA Division III national championship game.
The Purple Raiders (14-0) will take on No. 4 St. Thomas on Friday in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Salem, Va.
Mount Union spotted the Warhawks a pair of first-quarter field goals from Lake Bachar before Taurice Scott threw 31 yards to Roman Namdar for a touchdown then ran in from a yard out for another to lead 15-6 at the half.
Nemeth, who carried the ball a career-high 32 times, had touchdown runs of 4 and 6 yards in the second half and Scott threw 18 yards to Tim Kennedy for another score.
Scott was 12 of 19 for 135 yards and ran for 45 yards as the Raiders rolled up 441 yards offense to 253 for Wisconsin-Whitewater.
In the other Division III semifinal game Saturday, Jordan Roberts ran for 256 yards and three touchdowns as No. 4 St. Thomas (Minn.) beat second-ranked Linfield (Oregon) 38-17 to advance to the Division III championship. Jack Kaiser added two first-quarter touchdown runs and the Tommies (14-0) ran for 389 yards. Mount Union (14-0), which beat Wisconsin-Whitewater earlier Saturday, beat the Tommies in the 2012 championship.
Sports on 12/13/2015