|
Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – No question the sequel. starring freshman
Daniel Carter, was a box office smash compared to the first
run: USF 21, Walsh 7.
Carter scored three
touchdowns including a 65-yard breakaway that broke the
spirit of Walsh University in a 42-3 University of Saint
Francis win in the first round of the NAIA Football
Championship Series on Saturday afternoon.
The Cougars, ranked No. 1 in the
final NAIA regular season Top 25 Rating, forced six
turnovers including five interceptions to win their 11th
straight game this season giving USF five consecutive
seasons with at least 11 wins. USF won its 37th
consecutive home game and its 60th game in the
last 64 the Cougars have played starting with the 2002
season.
The Cougars (11-0) will learn their
NAIA FCS quarterfinal opponent on Sunday.
USF defeated then No. 3 Walsh 21-7 just
two weeks ago (Nov. 4), but the Cougars turned the rematch
into a mismatch, especially in the second half, to end the WU
season on a 3-game slide after it had won its first nine games
of the season.
“We struggled with them two weeks
ago,” USF head coach Kevin Donley said. “That’s a good
football team. But it’s playoff time and that’s when our guys
step up and play their best.”
Carter (Indianapolis / Decatur
Central H.S.) was selected by the media for the NAIA Offensive
Player of the Game award after he scored on a 4-yard run, the
65-yard run and on a 3-yard pass from quarterback Eric Hooks
(Indianapolis / North Central H.S.)
Eric Wagoner (Peru, IN / Peru H.S.)
was chosen NAIA Defensive Player of the Game. He led USF in
tackles with seven, four solo, had 1.5 sacks for 7 yards.
Hooks, who rushed for a career best
60 yards, threw for 181 yards on 13-of-19 passing without an
interception.
Taylor Vieck (Vincennes, IN / Lincoln
H.S.) didn’t carry the ball in the first three quarters, but
he led USF rushing with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter
and 117 yards on six carries. The freshman running back scored
on an end around on fourth and one at the USF 49, a career
best 51-yard sprint, and he later scored on a determined
1-yard run later in the fourth quarter.
Led by Vieck’s big fourth quarter,
USF rolled up 335 yards in the second half and outscored WU
28-0.
The USF defense registered five sacks,
and added three more interceptions to the two in the first.
USF senior safety Matt Millhouse (Roanoke, IN / Bishop Luers
H.S.) picked off two passes in the second half, the first two
of career at USF, and sophomore safety Sam Miles (Indianapolis
/ Warren Central H.S.) added the first pick of his career.
Wagoner, Jarrell Hunter (Fort Wayne / Harding H.S., Tim
Farrell (Fort Wayne / Carroll H.S.), William Knepper (Warsaw,
IN / Warsaw H.S.) and Carl Thomas (Fort Wayne / Carroll H.S.)
registered sacks in the second half making life miserable for
WU starting QB Marc Pullen and sub Sam Cerreta.
WU scored first on Mike Lum’s 21-yard
field goal with 8:43 to play in the first quarter. The
Cavaliers used 13 plays and 6:11 off the clock to advance 61
yards and get a 3-0 lead, but just three was big to USF.
“We felt good about our defense, then
it was up to us to get our offense in synch,” Hooks said.
“They had played well in the second half against us two weeks
ago, so we had to take it to them and set the tone.”
Carter got it started with a 28-yard
kickoff return after Lum’s field goal. Other big plays in the
13-play, 63-yard drive included a Hooks to Eric Rhodes
(Kendallville / East Noble H.S.) 16-yard pass for a first
down, and a Hooks to Zach Rainey (Indianapolis / Ben Davis H.S.)
pass for 17-yards. Carter finished it off taking a pitch and
slipping in for a 4-yard TD with 3:34 to play in the first
quarter. It was the start of what became a 42-0 run for the
Cougars.
“I just took what the defense gave
me,” Hooks said when asked about his rushing outburst. “We had
to exploit every opportunity today.”
Wagoner and Price, who also received
votes for POTG, said the offense getting on line early was a
crucial advantage.
“We knew they would come out thinkin’
revenge and that would have given them serious momentum if
they put seven on the board right away,” Wagoner said. “To
take their best shot and only give up three points says a lot
about our defense.”
“That really hurt them, just getting
three there,” Farrell added. “They drove a long way, and to
hold them to three stalled their momentum. That was huge, down
just three instead of a touchdown. And when our offense drove
down and scored, that gave us added energy on defense. We fed
off each other’s energy and play.”
Both Carter and Wagoner said it was
a team effort that made the difference.
“Eric had an excellent game, Vieck,
Alderman, Wasylk, everybody did the job today,” Carter said.
“With Eric mixing in a run once in a while, it opened up some
other options and we took advantage.
“We had great execution by the
offensive line on that play,” Carter said referring to his
65-yard TD run. “You get a beautiful hole like they gave me,
I’ve got to make it pay off. I felt everybody flowin’ toward
sideline, so it was time to cut it back, and then the space
just opened up.”
“I was a little surprised to get it
(POTG), especially after House got that second pick, but
really the whole defense deserved it,” Wagoner said.
NAIA FCS First Round Scores – Sat.,
November 18, 2006
#1 USF (Ind.) (11-0) def. #16 Walsh (Ohio)
(9-3), 42-3
#6 Northwestern Iowa (11-1) def. #12
Black Hills State (S.D.) (8-3), 17-10
#9 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (9-2) def. #7
Georgetown (Ky.) (9-2), 42-28
#4 Carroll (Mont.) (11-1) def. #11
Montana State Northern (9-3), 20-7
#2 Sioux Falls (S.D.) (10-1) def. #15
Jamestown (N.D.) (8-3), 48-10
#13 Morningside (Iowa) (9-2) def. #3
Saint Ambrose (Iowa) (10-1), 38-31
#8 Bethel (Tenn.) (10-2) def. #10
Friends (Kan.) (9-2), 35-10
#5 Missouri Valley (12-0) def. #14
Bethel (Kan.) (9-2), 31-14
-- Go USF -- |
