Statistical Spotlight
| Evan Berneche gave Westfield State a big boost in
the backfield. Photo for Westfield State by www.mortssports.net |
Each week during the regular season we look at some of the key statistical performances from the weekend in Division III football, highlighting one per region.
Evan Berneche entered the week as Westfield State's leading receiver. But on Saturday, he got a diferent perspective, as he rushed 37 times for 236 yards and a touchdown in his collegiate debut at running back. Berneche's had a 33-yard touchdown to give Westfield State an early 7-0 lead in a game the Owls eventually won 26-15. Berneche's longest run of the day, a 60-yard sprint to the Coast Guard 1, set up a touchdown for a 20-9 Owl advantage.
UW-Whitewater's defensive dominance not only kept UW-Eau Claire out of the end zone and off of the scoreboard, but nearly held the Blugolds out of Warhawk territory altogether. Eau Claire got as far as the Whitewater 38-yard line early in the second quarter before fumbling on the next play and snapped the ball twice more in Warhawk territory (for minus-1 yard) in the third quarter before punting it away. To add insult to injury, the 26-yard punt was returned 19 yards. Only three Eau Claire possessions of 13 lasted longer than four plays, and one of those ended the game.
Occidental found a few ways to score on defense Saturday in its win against Pomona-Pitzer. Jordan Lance blocked a Sagehens punt out the back of the end zone for a safety to give the Tigers a 23-14 lead early in the third quarter. Later in the quarter Dillon Tucker returned a blocked extra point all the way to the end zone for a defensive two-point conversion and Tucker added a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to increase Occidental's lead to 39-20.
Augustana set a yardage record, but this isn't your father's Augustana, or even your older brother's Augustana for that matter. The Vikings passed for a school-record 450 yards in a 43-16 win against Carthage. David Lee was 28-for-41 passing for 429 of those yards, with Patrick Rae adding the final 21. With a season and a half under his belt, Lee is the No. 4 passer in school history, with 3,226 yards.
