Utah State: 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Champions


BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Utah State running back Kerwynn Williams was having a quiet day when things took a turn for the worse in the fourth quarter when he fumbled deep in his own territory.
As it has all season, the Aggies' defense did its job, holding Toledo to a field goal that cut the lead to 13-9 with 7:28 to go. Then Williams atoned for his mistake — in a big way.
On the next possession, Williams broke through the defense and raced 63 yards for a touchdown. On the next two possessions, the senior was unstoppable, ripping off a 56-yard run and scoring TDs on runs of 5 and 25 yards, all within a span of less than 4 minutes to lift No. 20 Utah State to a 41-15 victory over Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Saturday.
"When stuff like that happens you have to have a short memory," Williams said about the fumble. "You can't change it. I just knew the next opportunity for me, I needed to make a big play."
Williams' fourth-quarter spree fueled a 28-point Aggies scoring burst that turned a close game into a blowout. Williams finished with a career-best 235 yards rushing on 18 carries, with 182 of those yards coming on six carries in the fourth quarter, and was voted MVP.
Williams' heroics also capped the most successful season in the history of Utah State football. The Aggies finished 11-2, won the Western Athletic Conference title outright and won a bowl game for the first time since 1993. Utah State also will likely finish ranked for the first time since 1961.
"You play in bowls to win championships, and they did that today," said Aggies coach Gary Andersen, who in four years has turned a Western Athletic Conference doormat into the top team of a conference soon to be obsolete. "They (team) reached every single goal they set last January. That doesn't happen often in life or often in football. I'm very, very proud of them."
The Aggies, bolstered all year by one of the best defenses in FBS, rolled up 582 yards total yards on offense.
Quarterback Chuckie Keeton was 21-of-31 passing for 229 yards and 92 yards rushing, including a 62-yard dash that put Utah State up 7-3 in the first quarter.
The defense also turned in another impressive performance. Toledo (9-4) was able to move the ball at times and made five trips inside the red zone. But penalties, miscues and an inability to execute on critical plays forced the Rockets to settle for three Jeremiah Detmer field goals. Detmer hit a pair from 37 yards out and another from 29, closing his season by making 17 straight.
Toledo's only touchdown came when Bernard Reedy returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. Reedy was the only big producer on a Toledo offense held to 315 total yards. Reedy had 51 yards rushing and caught six passes for 62 yards.
"When they got down in the red zone, they scored touchdowns. When we got down into the red zone we kicked field goals," first-year Toledo coach Matt Campbell said. "In big football games you have to win details."
Toledo quarterback Austin Dantin, who started in place of the injured Terrence Owens, was 12 of 21 passing for 132 yards. Dantin threw an interception in the third quarter to end a promising scoring drive and was replaced by Owens in the fourth quarter.
Owens moved the Rockets on his first possession, but another red-zone opportunity was squelched when the Aggies snuffed Owens for no gain on a fourth-and-1 play from the 9.
Toledo also was forced to adjust early without two of its best players. Linebacker Dan Molls, the nation's leading tackler, had a concussion on the opening kickoff and didn't return. Minutes later, running back David Fluellen, the nation's eighth-leading rusher, went down with an ankle injury. He finished with 38 yards on seven carries.
Campbell refused to use the injuries to Moll and Fluellen as an excuse and pointed out the game was close until the final 7 1/2 minutes.
"Injuries happen, they occur, you have to have the ability to adapt and you have to have the ability to move on," he said. "We were still in the game in the fourth quarter. I'm really proud of our football team from that standpoint."


Arizona: 2012 New Mexico Bowl Champions


Last-Minute Touchdowns Lift Arizona to Win

The bowl season started with a wild game Saturday as Matt Scott threw two short touchdown passes in the final 46 seconds, helping Arizona rally past Nevada, 49-48, in the New Mexico Bowl.
Overcoming a slow start and three turnovers, Arizona (8-5) recovered an onside kick in the last minute, setting up Scott’s 2-yard pass to Tyler Slavin with 19 seconds left for the winning score in Albuquerque.
The Wildcats trailed by 21-0 in the first quarter and were behind by 45-28 entering the fourth. But Scott, who threw for 382 yards and 3 touchdowns with two interceptions, led his team back. The nation’s rushing leader, Ka’Deem Carey, gained 172 yards for the Wildcats but fell short of becoming the 16th running back in N.C.A.A. history to reach 2,000 yards in a season.
The teams combined for 1,237 yards, the second most of any bowl game.
“It was an unbelievable game,” said Nevada tight end Zach Sudfeld, who had two touchdown catches. “Just the momentum swings back and forth. Just big swings on both sides. It was a crazy game to play in.”
Cody Fajardo threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score to lead the Wolf Pack (7-6). He completed 22 of 31 passes for 256 yards and rushed for 140 yards. Nevada’s Stefphon Jefferson, the nation’s second-leading rusher, carried 34 times for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns.
After a field goal with 1 minute 48 seconds left gave Nevada a 48-35 lead, Arizona mounted a 75-yard drive capped by Scott’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Austin Hill. The Wildcats then recovered the onside kick and reached the end zone again after 3 plays and 51 yards.
Rich Rodriguez, in his first season as Arizona’s coach, improved to 3-5 in bowl games.
SAM HOUSTON IN F.C.S. FINAL Quarterback Brian Bell ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as Sam Houston State built a 35-0 halftime lead and hung on to beat host Eastern Washington, 45-42, earning a trip to the Football Championship Subdivision championship game.
The Bearkats (11-3) set up a rematch with top-seeded North Dakota State, which won last season’s title game, 17-6.
The win over second-seeded Eastern Washington (11-3) was the Bearkats’ third straight over a Big Sky Conference team in the playoffs this year.
After Sam Houston State dominated the first half, the backup quarterback Vernon Adams tied an Eastern Washington record with six touchdown passes to pull the Eagles within a field goal with 3:02 left.
However, behind Tim Flanders, who ran for 231 yards, Sam Houston State ran out the clock.
VALDOSTA ST. WINS DIV. II TITLE The freshman Cedric O’Neal ran for 140 yards and a touchdown, leading Valdosta State to a 35-7 victory over Winston-Salem State in the Division II championship game in Florence, Ala.
Matt Pierce returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown for the No. 17 Blazers (12-2), the lowest-ranked team to win the title. They took a 21-0 halftime lead en route to their 10th straight victory and their first national title since 2007, Coach David Dean’s first season with the team.
Second-ranked Winston-Salem State (14-1) was trying to become the first historically black university to win the Division II title. But the Rams, who had lost in the semifinals last season, could not overcome six turnovers.
In the first five minutes, Valdosta State built a 14-0 lead against a team that had not trailed by more than a touchdown all season. Winston-Salem State had been averaging 42.6 points a game.
“They hadn’t been in that situation before and I didn’t know if they knew how to react to that, because they’d been blowing everybody out week after week,” Dean said.
PURDUE APPROVES COACH’S PAY Purdue’s new coach, Darrell Hazell, will earn at least twice the salary of his predecessor, Danny Hope. The university announced that its board of trustees had approved the hiring of Hazell at a base annual salary of $2 million including radio, television and marketing appearances plus as much as $1 million in bonuses.
Hope earned $950,000, the lowest salary in the Big Ten.


Valdosta State: 2012 NCAA Division II Champions


FLORENCE, Ala. -- Matt Pierce returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and freshman Cedric O'Neal ran for 140 yards and a score to lead Valdosta State to a 35-7 victory over Winston-Salem State on Saturday in the Division II championship game.
The Blazers (12-2) took a 21-0 halftime lead en route to their 10th straight win and first national title since 2007, coach David Dean's debut season. The Rams (14-1) were trying to become the first historically black school to win the Division II title after losing in the semifinals last season. But they couldn't overcome six turnovers, including several that hurt promising drives.
The Blazers needed 12 seconds to score and five minutes to build a 14-0 lead against a team that hadn't trailed by more than a touchdown all season.
Valdosta State quarterback Cayden Cochran was 18 of 26 passing while throwing for a touchdown and running for a pair of scores. O'Neal carried 24 times.


Marian: 2012 NAIA Football Champions


Michael Josifovski lifts Marian past Morningside in NAIA title game, 30-27 in overtime

By Associated Press, Published: December 13

ROME, Ga. — Michael Josifovski gave Marian the NAIA championship in only its sixth year of football with two more pressure field goals.
Josifovski made a 35-yarder on the final play of regulation to force overtime and hit a 26-yarder in the extra session to lift the Indianapolis school past Morningside (Iowa), 30-27 on Thursday night.
In the semifinals, Josifovski made a 51-yard field goal on the final play to give Marian (12-1) a 20-17 victory over Missouri Valley College.
“He’s got a great leg. We call him ‘Megafoot,’” said Marian coach Ted Karras Jr., who had Josifovski kick the winner on third down.
Teammates call Josifovski — the offensive player of the game — that and more.
“He’s clutch,” said linebacker Robert Palmer, the defensive player of the game. “We knew he wouldn’t miss. He never does when the game is on the line.”
Josifovski made three field goals in the title game after connected on four in the semifinals.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” the senior said. “You can’t write this stuff. I couldn’t have ever imagined it would end like this. Growing up you hope that you have a chance to play in a game like this.”
Adam Wiese was 25 of 39 for 233 yards and a touchdown for the Knights, and Tevin Lake rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.
Joel Nixon was 22 of 39 for 228 yards and two touchdowns for Morningside (13-1), and Fred Jones ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Nixon also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.
Morningside passed up a field-goal chance on the first possession in overtime, and Marian’s Danny Rojas broke up Nixon’s fourth-and-3 pass to Joel McCabe.
“I’m disappointed,” Morningside coach Steve Ryan said. “A great game. We made some plays down the end to give ourselves a chance to win. I thought we were going to do it. It just didn’t happen.
“The turnovers made a difference, the kicking game made a difference.”
Nixon threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Schuck with 1:04 left to put the Mustangs back on top at 27-24, but Marian marched back down the field to set up Josifovski for the tying 35-yard field goal that forced for the first overtime in the history of the championship.
“We have guys that don’t quit,” Karras said. “We’re true believers and we’re pioneers We started six years ago. We recruit guys that are hungry to play with a never-say-die attitude. They’re quality guys, they take care of business. Last week we did it like this, this week we did it like this. A lot of people probably counted us out with that minute left but we came right back down and tied it up. Couldn’t be more proud of our guys.”
Marian rallied to take a 24-20 lead on Wiese’s 61-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Jones with 2:46 remaining.
Ryan Harnett’s interception in the end zone for Marian killed what might have been a clinching TD drive for Morningside in the fourth quarter. The Knights then drove 73 yards to cut Morningside’s lead to three on Lake’s 4-yard run with 7:33 remaining.
Morningside drove 78 yards in 13 plays to open the second half, with Jones scoring from a yard out. But David Galloway missed the extra point — and that proved to be significant.
Morningside led 14-10 at halftime despite two turnovers that turned into points for Marian. Nixon’s fumble deep in his own territory after a scramble set up touchdown for the Knights and they added a field goal after an interception near midfield.
After Jones scored from 9 yards out to cap a 70-yard drive on Morningside’s first possession, Marian got the TD back when Palmer forced a fumble as Nixon tried to avoid a sack and Billy Baker recovered at the 6. Lake ran it in on the next play.
A wild scramble by Nixon paid off for Morningside late in the first quarter when he was able to find McCabe at the back of the end zone on a fourth-down play from the 6 to cap another 70-yard march. Nixon went right, then all the way back across the field to the left before spotting his receiver.
Marian cut into the lead after Nixon’s pass was picked off by Palmer at the Knights 43 midway in the second quarter. Josifovski, who had missed from 54 yards early in the quarter, connected on a 36-yarder with 3:55 left before halftime.
“We have faith in ourselves,” Josifovski said. “We had that momentum swing where we were down ten points and came back. It was something special. At that point, we knew we were not losing that game.”


Mount Union: 2012 NCAA Division III National Champions




SALEM, Va. (AP) - Mount Union is back on top of Division III football, and failure was the inspiration.

Kevin Burke led two second-half touchdown drives and the Purple Raiders ended a three-year losing streak in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl with a 28-10 victory over St. Thomas of Minnesota on Friday night.

Those three straight losses, coach Larry Kehres said, gave him a sense of urgency to win again, and keep his seniors from being his first class in 20 years to leave without a title.

"It was a difficult three years to see the seniors experience loss in the final game," Kehres said. "I felt for them. This group inspired me to do everything I could coaching to make sure we got every chance to win the championship this year."

The victory gave Kehres his 11th national title in 16 appearances in the Stagg Bowl, all in the past 20 years. He's staggering 332-24-3 in 27 seasons, and those seniors did a lot of the heavy lifting.

Linerbacker Charles Dieuseul blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown as the Purple Raiders (15-0) took an early 14-0 lead, and wide receiver Chris Denton rebounded form fumbling a punt away with a 17-yard TD catch on a fourth down play.

"It's the best feeling in the world," Dieuseul gushed after also having six tackles and a sack. "We worked all summer to get to this point right here. All the hard work - 6 a.m. lifting, practicing in the snow - and it paid off tonight."

Burke, the game's most outstanding player, threw the scoring pass to Denton on fourth down late in the third quarter to give the Purple Raiders a 21-10 lead, then directed a 14-play, 87-yard drive for the clinching score with 4:28 to play.

"I think it was these guys kind of buckling down," Burke said. "You looked at where you are and kind of realized that this is it. This is our last second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter. That hits you hard and you've got to step up at that point."

The sophomore quarterback stepped up, too, completing three third-down passes to keep the final drive alive. Burke finished 21 for 28 passing for 222 yards with the touchdown, and avoided the turnovers that often alter title games.

The Tommies (14-1), making their first appearance in the championship game and playing in the Eastern time zone for the first time since 1949, managed only 35 yards of offense in the second half against Mount Union's top-rated defense, and couldn't stop the Purple Raiders' top-ranked offense after Paul Graupner's 38-yard field goal made it a 14-10 game.

"I do think for sure one of the pivotal points of the game was when we did get within those four points and then they came back and they answered and I think that's the mark of a championship team," fifth-year coach Glenn Caruso said.

The Tommies seemed poised to make it a game down to the wire until Burke and Co. took command.

"We're crushed," wide receiver Dan Ferrazzo said, "and like coach said, we're going to own this pain and we're going to get better from it."

Mount Union's offense, stymied for several series, came alive after Graupner's field goal midway through the third quarter. The scoring play was set up by the game's first turnover, a fumble by Denton recovered by Zach Novaczyk at the 27.

The Purple Raiders took over at their 19 and went 81 yards in 12 plays. Burke hit Julius Moore for 12 yards on a third-and-four and Jasper Collins for eight yards on a third-and-12 from the St. Thomas 25.

Kehres opted to go for it on fourth-and-four, and Burke hit Denton in the left corner for the TD.

A leaping, fingertip interception by Isaiah Scott at the Purple Raiders' 13 ended the Tommies' attempt to answer, and Burke completed three passes on third down to keep the ensuing nearly 9-minute drive alive.

The third one, on third-and-6 from the St. Thomas 43, went to Jasper Collins, who juked Sean Hamlin after the short catch, turning it into a 38-yard gain. Two plays later, Jake Simon's second 1-yard TD run made it 28-10.

The Tommies struggled early, but used a trick play to get untracked, and on the scoreboard.

Facing fourth-and-10 from the Purple Raiders' 10, they lined up for a 27-yard field goal. The snap came to Ferrazzo, the holder, who bolted for the right pilon, diving for the touchdown to make it 14-7 just 1:29 into the second quarter.

The Tommies should have tied it later in the quarter when Matt O'Connell hit Matt Misiewicz in the hands a few steps from the end zone, but the ball glanced off the big tight end's hands and the drive stalled.

O'Connell finished 15 for 35 for 116 yards. He was sacked five times and under pressure all game.

The Purple Raiders looked intent on reclaiming their perch atop Division III football from the start. From its own 18, Mount Union needed just seven plays, the biggest a 41-yard pass from Burke to Collins, to go ahead 7-0. They actually scored twice, too, because the officials said they needed to review Burke's 10-yard pass to Denton to the 1, but didn't decide to do it until after Simon scored on a 1-yard run. After a lengthy review, Simon ran it in again on the do-over.

Mount Union made it 14-0 after an exchange of punts. The Purple Raiders held again, and when Tommies' 6-foot-6 punter Garrett Maloney had to jump to catch a high snap, he was swarmed as he tried to punt.

"I was going to score regardless, even if I had to drag 20 people," Dieuseul said.

It was Mount Union's fourth punt block, and third return for a TD, in the past three games.

ISML 2012: Results, Male Tournament Match Day 8



1
Lelouch Lamperouge
(Code Geass) 3809
Kirigaya Kazuto
(Sword Art Online) 3918



2
Oreki Hōtarō
(Hyōka) 3629
Kinoshita Hideyoshi
(Baka to Test to Shōkanjū) 3739



3
Orihara Izaya
(Durarara!!) 3177
Togashi Yūta
(Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai!) 4327



4
Katsuragi Keima
(Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai) 3584
Edward Elric
(Fullmetal Alchemist) 3577



5
Takasu Ryūji
(Toradora!) 3516
Sakata Gintoki
(Gintama) 3815



6
Kuroko Tetsuya
(Kuroko no Basket) 3277
Roy Mustang
(Fullmetal Alchemist) 3705



7
Shirakiin Ririchiyo
(Inu × Boku SS) 2692
Yūki Asuna
(Sword Art Online) 4735



8
Kuroyukihime
(Accel World) 3350
Takanashi Rikka
(Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai!) 4048



9
Shiki
(Togainu no Chi) 2569
Takano Masamune
(Sekaiichi Hatsukoi) 2240



10
Dio Brando
(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) 1346
Gildarts Clive
(FAIRY TAIL) 3654