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| Derrick Harvey is mobbed by teammates after scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Photo by Doug Sasse, d3photography.com |
Mount Union got pushed to overtime, and the rest of the top four in the D3football.com Top 25 all cruised to easy wins as the quarterfinals played out pretty much exactly the way the poll said they would.
At one point, it looked like a game Muhlenberg was going to win going away. Then it looked like Mount Union had all the momentum. Instead, Muhlenberg got a break and rode it all the way to overtime before the Purple Raiders eventually prevailed, 35-29.
Mount Union will host North Central in the national semifinals at noon ET on Saturday, Dec. 11, and Mary Hardin-Baylor will play at UW-Whitewater at 2:30 CT/3:30 ET. The semifinals are streamed on ESPN3.
Mount Union hosting North Central seems in contrast to previously established use of the NCAA Division III football criteria.
Down 21-9, Mount Union turned immediately to Josh Petruccelli, and the senior running back delivered. He took a first-down handoff at the Purple Raiders 47 and was gone, scampering 53 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 21-16 with 2:37 left in the third. Deandre Parker capped the next drive with a touchdown and Petruccelli got the call again, stretching his arms and the ball across the goal line to give the Purple Raiders a 29-21 lead.
Muhlenberg missed a key opportunity at the end of the third quarter. Mount Union's Isaiah Edwards muffed a punt, giving the Mules prime field position with a minute and a half left in the period. But the Mount Union defense held against four Muhlenberg incomplete passes and kept the game within five.
At the end of that three-touchdown run, Mount Union led 29-21 with 6:04 left and things looked bleak for the Mules (11-2). Compounding that, Michael Hnatkowsky threw three incomplete passes and the Mules went three-and-out. But the Mules defense returned the favor, stuffing Josh Petruccelli on fourth-and-1 from the Purple Raider 45. Muhlenberg went four-and-out on its next possession as well, but the Mules got a break. With Mount Union facing third-and-11, Braxton Plunk rolled out and gave himself up for a loss of 6, and the Mount Union punter, in trying to handle a low snap, kneeled with the ball at his own 25, handing the Mules new life.
Muhlenberg took advantage, as Hnatkowsky found Thomas Murphy twice and Michael Feaster twice, the latter for an 8-yard touchdown with 1:20 left. Hnatkowsky then found Thomas Murphy for a two-point conversion to tie the game.
Mount Union had a chance to win the game in regulation, as the Purple Raiders got down to the Muhlenberg 15 with about 30 seconds left. But Plunk rolled out, lost the handle on the ball and had to fall on it back at the 24. Nick Deack then missed a 41-yard field goal attempt on third down with 11 seconds left, evening up the game at 29 and sending it to overtime.
Muhlenberg started overtime with a completion from Hnatwkosky to Feaster for 12 yards, but did not get any closer, and Ian Sexton broke up a third-down pass. Nick Stannard's 35-yard field goal attempt was no good. Plunk and the Purple Raiders (13-0) responded with a swing pass out of the backfield to Petruccelli and Plunk then found Derrick Harvey in the end zone for a touchdown, allowing Mount Union to walk off with a 35-29 victory.
Plunk was 38-for-56 passing for 465 yards and a touchdown. Petruccelli ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, while DeAndre Parker added two scores on the ground as well. Hnatkowsky was 30-for-58 for 294 yards and three scores but Muhlenberg managed just 5 rushing yards.
Mary Hardin-Baylor does it all through the air
In Belton, Texas, Linfield scored first, but Mary Hardin-Baylor scored often in a 49-24 Crusader win. The Wildcats opened the game with a 14-play, 60 yard drive that culminated in a 21 yard field goal. UMHB responded by calling a double pass where K.J. Miller connected with Brenton Martin for a 58-yard touchdown to give the Crusaders the lead.
Linfield again drove into the red zone in the final moments of the opening quarter, only to be held again by the Cru defense. A short field goal attempt by Andrew Starkel missed wide to the left. Kyle King, returning as the Cru’s starting quarterback after missing the second-round game, threw the first of his six touchdown passes with 8:01 left to play in the second quarter, connecting with Brandon Jordan on an 11-yard score.
The Cru offense exploded for 538 yards on just 59 plays. King completed 24 of 32 pass attempts for 345 yards and six touchdown passes. Jordan finished with seven receptions, 136 yards, and three touchdowns. Martin added a 57 yard touchdown reception in the second quarter to go along with the trick play touchdown to open UMHB’s scoring.
Defensively, Khevon Shepard and Sante Parker had two sacks apiece for the Cru. Linfield quarterback Wyatt Smith concludes his Wildcat career completing 42 of 51 passes for 442 yards and three touchdowns.
Whitewater keeps Hawkins in check
Max Meylor threw for two touchdowns, ran for one and caught one as well as UW-Whitewater ended Central's playoff run, beating the Dutch 51-21. The Warhawks got to Central quarterback Blaine Hawkins, sacking him six times.
The Dutch (12-1) took the lead before Central's offense ever took the field. Brody Klein blocked the Warhawks' opening punt and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead 2:56 into the game. The teams traded touchdowns through the end of the first quarter, and Central capped a 15-play drive to cut the lead to 27-21 at halftime, but it was all Whitewater in the second half.
Hawkins was 27-for-44 for 286 yards and two touchdowns, both to Jeff Herbers. Alex Peete had a huge game, especially in the second half for the Warhawks (13-0). He finished with 32 carries for 181 yards and three touchdowns, all of them in the second half.
North Central puts it away early
North Central scored twice before RPI’s offense stepped on the field en route to a 55-6 win. Ethan Greenfield capped 10-pay, 70-yard opening drive with a 2-yard touchdown run on North Central’s first possession.
RPI was unable to handle North Central’s short kickoff following the score and Jordan Chisum won the race to the live ball to give the ball back the Cardinal offense. Five plays later, Terrance Hill raced 15 yards to the end zone to give North Central a 14-0 lead just over eight minutes into the game.
RPI’s offense managed just eight first downs on the afternoon in just under 20 minutes of total possession time. George Marinopolous finished 16-28 for 163 yards and one touchdown. The Cardinals sacked Marinopolous six times and intercepted the Engineer quarterback twice. Peter Lombardi caught a game high nine passes for 81 yards and the lone RPI touchdown.
Greenfield led the Cardinals with 144 yards rushing on 20 attempts. Greenfield scored twice, as did Hill. North Central outrushed the Engineers 319 to minus-12. Jamauri Spivery led the Cardinal defense with 1.5 sacks while defensive lineman Tyler Rich added one sack and an interception.