Nov. 5, 2006

Special to CSTV.com From I-AA.org

Coaches love to talk about how the difference between winning and losing often comes down to a few plays. It might sound like a cliché, but on Saturday, in several key games, one single play held the decision in the balance.

With just three weeks left in the regular season and several teams holding their playoff lives by a thread, the competition was so frantic that even a Hollywood screenwriter wouldn't have devised such devious finishes.

For Massachusetts, Montana, North Dakota State, Youngstown State, William & Mary and Princeton, those final plays resulted in victories. For New Hampshire, Cal Poly, UC Davis, Southern Illinois, Towson and Penn, the final plays ended in heartbreak.

One Time

UMass didn't look like it would need to hang on when the No. 3 Minutemen took a 28-3 lead on Steve Baylark's one-yard TD plunge with 8:49 left in the third quarter at No. 9 New Hampshire.

But then the Ricky Santos and David Ball show began. That storied pass-catch duo combined on scoring strikes of 33 and six yards with a field goal in between to make it 28-20 midway through the fourth quarter. It could have been closer had receiver Keith LaVan not dropped a TD pass one play before the field goal.

Down by eight points with 3:40 to play, Santos moved the Wildcats from their own 21 to the UMass three with 24 second remaining. Ball had given UNH a first down at the 10, but the Wildcats didn't get the ball to their scoring machine again.

Santos (35-of-55 for 383 yards) had one final play on fourth down, but instead of trying to throw the ball, an option play turned to disaster when John Hatchell knocked down a pitch from the All-American quarterback to Robert Simpson with 15 seconds on the clock. Hatchell's brother, Jason, paced the defense with 18 tackles.

The loss was critical for New Hampshire, which fell to 3-3 in the Atlantic 10 and 6-3 overall. The Wildcats, ranked No. 1 nationally for most of the season, must win at Rhode Island and Maine just to have a shot at the NCAA playoffs.

The win keeps UMass (8-1 overall, 6-0 in league) in line for a top-four seed in the playoffs and undefeated in the A-10. With two games remaining, the Minutemen are tied with No. 4 James Madison as the only undefeated teams left in the conference.

JMU kept pace with an easy 44-24 win at home over Delaware with Justin Rascati completing 14-of-20 passes for 211 yards and three TDs and Eugene Holloman rushing 15 times for 171 yards and two more scores. Rascati also ran 13 times for 79 yards to finish with 290 yards of total offense.

With two of I-AA's best defenses facing off as No. 2 Montana hosted No. 6 Cal Poly, you could have anticipated that this game would be a barn burner and it lived up to all of its hype.

On the strength of three Nick Coromelas field goals, the last from 47 yards with 3:56 remaining, Cal Poly took a 9-7 lead. A week earlier, Coromelas had lifted the Mustangs to a late lead over I-A San Diego State and a last-play field goal by the Aztecs went wide.

But Montana, which had struggled all game to move the ball, drove 76 yards in 16 plays to set up Dan Carpenter's 21-yard field goal attempt with five seconds left. It was good, barely sailing past the upright, to move Montana's record to 8-1.

The game was virtually even statistically as Cal Poly held a two-yard advantage in total offense and Montana won the time of possession battle by just 48 seconds.

Much beleaguered Cal Poly quarterback Matt Brennan completed 14-of-27 passes for 207 yards to totally outplay Montana's Washington State transfer Josh Swogger, who was a frosty 12-of-30 for 161 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But Swogger came up big in getting the Grizzlies into field goal position.

Cal Poly must now beat No. 5 ranked North Dakota State to keep its hopes of a playoff berth alive.

One More Time

North Dakota State won a Great West Conference game in dramatic fashion when Steve Walker tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to John Majeski with four seconds left to lift the Bison to a 28-24 victory over UC Davis.

Walker was 18-of-37 for 237 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Kyle Steffes rushed 23 times for 111 yards and a TD. The Bison trailed 24-0 before scoring four touchdowns to win.

No. 7 Youngstown State (8-2, 5-1) needed two touchdowns in the final five minutes and a goal-line stand in the final moments to hold off Southern Illinois 31-24.

Tom Zetts threw an 18-yard scoring strike to Louis Irizzary and Marcus Mason (29 carries, 249 yards and two TDs) scooted in from 22 yards out with 1:33 to go to give the Penguins the lead. An interception by Codera Jackson set up YSU's winning score.

No. 12 Southern Illinois (6-3, 3-3) moved to the Penguin two in the final 17 seconds, but quarterback Nick Hill's rollout and run on fourth down was stopped just short of the goal line.

Arkee Whitlock carried 35 times for 218 yards and three TDs to lead the Salukis, who must beat the University of Northern Iowa and Southern Utah at home to keep a playoff berth hope alive.

Youngstown State held on to its advantage for the Gateway Football Conference autobid. UNI and Illinois State stayed tied for the league lead with wins on Saturday.

No. 14 UNI rallied for a 31-20 victory that pretty much knocked Western Kentucky out of the playoff race. WKU trustees had voted a couple of days earlier to move to I-A beginning next year.

No. 8 Illinois State kept it hopes of the playoffs, league championship and a top-four seed alive by crushing Missouri State 38-14.

No. 21 Towson may be the upstart in the A-10, but the Tigers still had hopes of a playoff berth heading into a matchup at home against struggling William & Mary. But William & Mary found the perfect time to get healthy and left Towson's playoff dreams hanging by a slim thread.

Blair Pritchard kicked two field goals in the final five minutes, the last a career-long 34 yards with five seconds left to give the Tribe a 29-28 win over the Tigers.

Mike Potts was 28-of-44 for 409 yards and two TDs for William & Mary to offset Sean Schaefer's 33-of-54 for 367 yards and four touchdown performance. Tribe tailback Elijah Brooks rushed 22 times for 165 yards and threw a touchdown pass as William & Mary rolled up 630 yards of total offense.

The last thing that Penn wanted to see on Saturday was another overtime game after losing in extra time in the past two weeks.

But the Quakers found themselves in their third straight overtime game at No. 23 Princeton when Robert Irvin found Matt Carre for a 16-yard scoring pass with 39 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 24. Penn erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit.

After two missed field goals in a scoreless first overtime, Princeton took a 31-24 lead on a most bizarre play. Stopped short of the goal line on fourth down, running back Robert Toresco pitched the ball back to quarterback Jeff Terrell, who ran in for the touchdown. An extra point by Connor Louden gave the Tigers a seven-point edge.

Terrell's touchdown was voted as ESPN's play of the day.

Irvin's 25-yard strike to Carre gave the Quakers a quick TD, but the game ended with a bad snap on the PAT and a desperation run being stopped short.

With the loss, Penn became the first team in NCAA history to drop three consecutive overtime games. The Quakers had lost to Yale and Brown in the previous two weeks.

Princeton remained a game behind Yale, a 27-24 winner over Brown, in the Ivy League race. The Tigers travel to New Haven, Conn. next Saturday.

Harvard, also with one loss, stayed in the Ivy League race with a 24-7 romp over Columbia as Clifton Dawson rushed for 120 yards and two TDs. Columbia lost despite 320 passing yards from Craig Hormann.

<B>THEY'RE BAAAAAACK</B>

Defending national champion Appalachian State became the first team to clinch a playoff berth when the No. 1 ranked Mountaineers earned a share of the Southern Conference title with a 42-13 thrashing of The Citadel.

It was the 24th straight home win for ASU, which will probably wrap up the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and its second straight SoCon outright title by beating Western Carolina next Saturday in the battle for the Old Mountain Jug.

For the second week in a row, All-American safety Corey Lynch sparked the Mountaineers with a touchdown. Lynch recovered a fumble forced by defensive end Marques Murrell and raced 25 yards to give App State a 14-3 lead in the second quarter.

In the third period, Lynch intercepted a pass, but fumbled it back to the Bulldogs after a 38-yard return. On the next play, Lynch dislocated his left elbow and was already in surgery before the game ended.

It was a similar injury to the one Lynch suffered to his right elbow two years ago -- a setback that cost the junior the final nine games of the season.

Mountaineer medical personnel were in hopes that with the insertion of a plate in his elbow it might allow the big-play performer to return during the playoffs.

<B>JUST GET THE WIN</B>

Another SoCon team, Furman, recovered from last week's 40-7 ASU massacre at Kidd Brewer Stadium to stay alive for the playoffs. The Paladins again played well in the first half and then saw their offense disappear in the second half.

Leading 24-3, Furman failed to score after the intermission for the third time in four games, but still beat Elon 24-13. Fullback Jerome Felton returned from a leg injury to score two touchdowns, but managed just 25 yards on 10 carries, while Cedric Gipson ran for 122 yards and a score on 20 attempts.

In another bit of SoCon news, Georgia Southern was held scoreless in the second half of a 28-10 loss to Wofford. It was Georgia Southern's fourth loss at home and clinched only the second losing season for the six-time I-AA national champs since the school restarted football in the 1980s.

Brandon Berry broke the game open for Wofford with a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown to make it 21-10 in the third period.

Lehigh stayed in control of the Patriot League race with a 23-15 victory over Colgate, while McNeese State rallied for a 34-13 victory over Southeastern Louisiana to maintain its advantage in the Southland.

<B>STAYING UNBEATEN</B>

Two undefeated teams won again, but in different fashions.

Charleston Southern stayed on track for a season-ending showdown with Coastal Carolina in the Big South by beating Gardner-Webb 28-14. The Buccaneers broke a 14-all halftime tie when quarterback Collin Drafts

(31-of-41 for 406 yards and four touchdowns passing) threw two second-half TD passes.

The Bucs travel to Liberty next Saturday, while Coastal Carolina -- a 66-6 winner over hapless Savannah State -- takes on Gardner-Webb.

San Diego looked to have an easy time as it tried to wrap up the Pioneer Football League title against Jacksonville. Jacksonville had just one PFL loss and could have put itself in position to win a berth in the Gridiron Classic against the Northeast Conference champion.

But after losing 41-6 to a suspect Division II school, North Greenville, a week earlier, the Dolphins didn't seem likely to offer much resistance for No. 16 San Diego.

That wasn't the case as Jacksonville pulled to within a touchdown, 28-21, in the first minute of the fourth quarter. But San Diego put the game away with two final-period drives.

J.T. Rogan's 11-yard scoring scamper with 10:47 left made it 35-21 and Hutch Parker's 29-yard field goal with under three minutes remaining clinched a 38-21 win for the Toreros.

Jacksonville showed the San Diego defense to be vulnerable as quarterback Christopher Horton threw for 219 yards and Jerry Brant rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns on just 22 carries.

Josh Johnson was 30-of-43 for 384 yards and four touchdowns to pace the Torero attack. The defenses were missing in action as San Diego rolled up

593 yards and Jacksonville added 459.

San Diego was also hurt by 10 penalties for 107 yards in this rather lackluster performance.

<B>TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS</B>

In the NEC, Monmouth improved to 9-1 with a 54-20 victory over St. Francis.

The Hawks are tied for first with Stony Brook and Albany. Stony Brook beat Wagner 45-9 and Albany knocked off Robert Morris 16-6 to keep pace with Monmouth in a three-way tie.

Stony Brook controls its own fortune and can clinch the berth in the Gridiron Classic with a win at Central Connecticut State. Monmouth and Albany meet at Albany and need help from CCSU to get in.

The Ohio Valley Conference took a turn towards resolution when No. 10 Tennessee-Martin beat Southeast Missouri State 28-14 and Tennessee State lost to Eastern Illinois 29-3.

Martin was held scoreless until Jesse Burton returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 100 yards for a touchdown. Donald Chapman rushed 36 times for 225 yards and three TDs to put the game away for the Skyhawks, who are the lone remaining unbeaten team in the OVC.

Eastern Illinois kept its playoff hopes alive at the same time it was all but crushing Tennessee State's dreams. Vincent Webb ran for two TDs and caught a pass for a third score to lead the Panthers. It was TSU's first loss in the OVC, tying the Tigers with EIU for second place.

In the Big Sky, No. 19 Montana State struggled to a 13-10 win over Northern Colorado to keep a potential auto bid in sight. The Bobcats built a 13-3 lead and then held on in the fourth quarter as Evin Groves ran for 130 yards and a touchdown.

A 40-yard pass from T.J. Swanson to Robert Long pulled the Bears within three points with 3:07 left before Montana State ran out the clock.

Should the playoff selection committee choose to pick a team with four losses, Portland State added to its resume and eliminated Northern Arizona from such talk with a clutch 34-26 victory.

Two Jason Murrietta TD passes in the fourth quarter got NAU within 31-26, but that was as close as the Lumberjacks could get. Murrietta hit 30-of-47 passes for 231 yards and three TDs, but PSU's Sawyer Smith was 14-of-24 for 324 yards and four scores.