Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – NAIA No. 1-ranked University of Saint Francis parlayed a dominating defense and timely offense into a 21-7 win over No. 3 Walsh University to lock up at least a tie for the Cougars’ eighth consecutive Mid-States Football Association Mideast League championship on Saturday afternoon.

   The Cougars improved to 9-0 and secured their 50^th consecutive regular season victory by holding WU (9-1) to 173 yards total offense, just 30 yards rushing on 23 attempts.

   USF quarterback Eric Hooks threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter and Marcus Rush plowed 6 yards for the Cougars’ third TD. Cale Grzych kicked all three extra points and USF led 21-0 before WU got on the board in the fourth quarter.

   USF kept WU out of the end zone by controlling the ball. The Cougars had a 40:44 to WU’s 18:42 in time-of-possession. USF ran 78 plays, WU 45.

   “Defensively, we shut down a great running game,” USF coach Kevin Donley said. “Offensively, everything went according to play in the first half, then I got conservative with my play calls in the second half. They are the best defense we've played against since the final game last year.”

   After a scoreless first quarter, Hooks got the USF offense on-line and directed a 12 play, 85-yard drive. Hooks scrambled and found Daniel Carter open at the back of the end zone to finish the drive in 5:30.

   The Cavaliers retaliated by driving to the USF 15-yard line, but on first and 10 at the USF 14, Antwain Reine’ coughed up the ball after a hit by USF defensive tackle Adam Blakey. Cody Van Deursen recovered to end the Cavs’ threat. On third and nine at the WU 13, Hooks connected with tight end Brian Kurtz, that’s right Kurtz, on a 13-yard TD pass and the Cougars led 14-0 with 4:57 to play in the first half.

   WU maneuvered down field to the USF 6-yard line, but on second and goal, WU quarterback Marc Pullen threw an incomplete pass. On the next play, USF linemen William Knepper and Eric Wagoner sacked Pullen back at the USF 15. Mike Lum, who had connected 7-of-15 field goal attempts this season, missed wide left on a 32-yard attempt and USF kept its 14-0 lead at halftime.

   “Keeping them off the board completely at that point was very big,” Donley said. “Our defense just played outstanding the entire game.”

   Neither team could mount much of an attack through much of the third quarter. Tim Farrell forced a fumble on the kickoff that Brian Smiley recovered at the Walsh 17.  Joe Phinisee picked off a Hooks pass at the 1-yard line on the Cougars’ first play. On third and nine, Kurtz dislodged the ball from Rob Lash after a pass reception and Jarrell Hunter recovered at the WU 29. After surrendering one first down to USF, the Cavs defense held and Grzych missed a 21-yard field goal wide left.

   USF DB Bret Winegardner picked off a Pullen pass at the WU 47 to set up USF’s third TD drive with 6:36 to play in the third quarter. A Hooks to Bo Thompson 18-yard completion was the big play in the drive on fourth and eight at the WU 24. Rush finished the drive plowing the final 6 yards.

  The Cavaliers finally got on the board with 7:12 to play in the game when Montreal Wade snared a Hooks’ pass and sped 30 yards to the USF end zone. USF left no doubt on WU’s next possession about the final outcome after DE Vincent Price sacked Pullen twice for 8 and 6 yards. WU got the ball back with 46 seconds left, but on fourth and two, Winegardner hauled in his second pick of the game to assure the win for No. 1 USF.   

   “Our defensive line got so much pressure on (Pullen) and the whole defense just played its best game of the year,” Kurtz said. “Our execution was excellent. The defense is really coming together now which is exciting to see with the playoffs coming up.”

                                                     -- GO USF --