Fresno State: 2023 New Mexico Bowl Champions

Mikey Keene threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns Saturday as Fresno State walloped New Mexico State 37-10 to win the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.

Keene completed 31 of 39 passes with an interception. He also contributed a rushing touchdown for the Bulldogs (9-4), who looked more like the team that was ranked in the top 25 earlier in the season instead of the one that limped into the bowl with a three-game losing streak.

Fresno State won despite the absence of head coach Jeff Tedford, who took a leave of absence on Dec. 1 to address a medical condition. Assistant coach Tim Skipper ran the program and extracted one of its top performances of the season.

The Bulldogs outgained the Aggies 500-200, nearly doubling them in first downs (23-12) and converting 8 of 13 third downs. Malik Sherrod was a workhorse for Fresno State, rushing for 90 yards on 20 carries and catching eight passes for 81 yards.

New Mexico State (10-5) won 10 games for just the second time in school history but couldn’t cope with its Mountain West Conference foe. Diego Pavia completed only 11 of 25 passes for just 58 yards, although he did rush for 74 yards and the team’s only touchdown.

The Bulldogs carved out a 17-3 halftime lead. Dylan Lynch hit a 32-yard field goal with 6:17 left in the first quarter and Keene connected with Josiah Freeman for a 28-yard touchdown pass less than three minutes later.

Ethan Albertson got the Aggies on the board with a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter but Keene and Jaelen Gill hooked up for a 23-yard scoring strike at the 7:02 mark to up the margin to 14 points.

After Lynch converted a 25-yard field goal just over three minutes into the third quarter, Pavia got New Mexico State within 20-10, spinning off tacklers on a 14-yard scoring run.

But Keene’s 4-yard touchdown run with 13:20 left in the game fueled a 17-point fourth quarter that put the game away.

–Field Level Media

Appalachian State: 2023 Cure Bowl Champions

 
What do you get when the skies open up and two teams battle in a monsoon? App State and Miami Ohio delivered one of the wildest bowl game performances in recent memory, for all the wrong reasons.

First off, congratulations to App State for winning the Cure Bowl 13-9 in Orlando, Florida. After scoring the game’s only touchdown, we found out this was going to be a muddy mess. I feel for both teams in this postseason outing.

On a positive note, ESPN analyst Booger McFarland pointed out postgame that neither team needed a bathroom break during the downpour. Rather than run to the sideline tent or locker room, Booger jokingly pointed out that the conditions gave each player an opportunity to just ‘Let It Flow’ on the field.

Imagine being part of one of these teams and finding out you’re headed to sunny Florida for a bowl game. Disney World, Universal Studios, laying out by the pool with a side of football, it was all part of the plan. But this game turned into the muddiest bowl game in recent history and viewers were treated to players slipping around all over the field.

Not only were fans of both teams prepared for a wonderful afternoon of football in Florida, but the players were hoping to have a turnover free game. Nope, that wasn’t going to happen on Saturday afternoon, with a record being snapped in the process.

For the first time since 1988, both teams combined to tie the record for most fumbles in a game. In the announcers booth, Robert Griffin III made it a point to say he wasn’t born the last time something like this happened in a college football game.

Only 5 of the 13 fumbles were lost, but this was a sight to behold.

Postgame Slip-N-Slide Celebrations For App State

Thanks to the fantastic field conditions for this type of celebration, App State took full advantage of the flooded field. Covered in paint and ready to party, Appalachian State players immediately started their own slip-n-slide party as the clock ticked down to zero.

What a great way to close out the 2023 season for App State, winners of its last five of seven games.

I hope the coaching staff gives the players a few days off following the win in Orlando, because they should be headed straight for Disney World on Sunday.

Jacksonville State: 2023 New Orleans Bowl Champions

 - In a blast of a game, Louisiana stalled on its overtime possession, and Jacksonville State made the most of its opportunity. It took the running game down to make it a chip shot, and relatively untested backup kicker Garrison Rippa came through with a 27-yard field goal for a bowl win.

- Jacksonville State dominated the offensive tempo, but Louisiana managed to stay in the game - no one was ever up by more than one score - with a pick six for a late 31-24 lead. Jacksonville State drove back in the final few minutes, and scored on a fourth down 18-yard Zion Webb pass to Perry Carter pass. The extra point by Rippa tied it up, and the Gamecock D held on Louisiana’s final drive in regulation.

- Louisiana came up with another pick six earlier in the game, and started out the game with a scoop and score for a less than two minutes in. Jacksonville State was battling through quarterback injuries in a rotation, but survived despite being -4 in turnover margin.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Player of the Game

Ron Wiggins, RB Jacksonville State

Wiggins ran 27 times for a game-high 126 yards and a score, and he caught three passes for 17 yards.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl What It All Means

- It’s a real shame the NCAA didn’t get to enforce its rule that teams transitioning from the FCS to FBS weren’t eligible for a bowl game. This back-and-forth overtime game was a TOTAL drag with Jacksonville State in it. (Sometimes, the teams that REALLY want to be in a bowl game bring the most fire.)

- The Louisiana offense struggled. The game was close because of the three defensive scores, but the offense was more than doubled up in yards and couldn’t keep things moving. The Jacksonville State defense had a good game, but the offense had something to do with it, too. It ran more than 100 plays and dictated the tempo out of the game.

- How amazing has this season been for Jacksonville State? It was supposed to be a wee bit of a struggle in the first year in the FBS, but it started with a tough close win over UTEP, kept grinding even when the points were there, and head coach Rich Rodriguez generated a nine-win season with a bowl victory just one year removed from the FCS.

- Experts Picks For Every Bowl

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Key Stats

- Total Yards: Jacksonville State 526, Louisiana 247

- 4th Downs: Jacksonville State 5-of-6, Louisiana 0-of-0

- First Downs: Jacksonville State 31, Louisiana 14

Harding: 2023 NCAA Division II Football National Champions

MCKINNEY, Texas — Harding made history by winning its first NCAA Division II national championship in a 38-7 victory over top-seeded Colorado School of Mines at McKinney ISD Stadium in Texas on Saturday.

The Bisons recorded 502 rushing yards in the winning effort to become the first school in NCAA history with more than 6,000 yards on the ground in a single season.

"It's 100 percent guys that love each other, believe in the brotherhood that care deeply," Harding head coach Paul Simmons said. "Let's honor God with how we love one another, how we work, how we sacrifice... that was really evident with how we battled today."

Running back Blake Delacruz led the way for Harding with 212 yards on 27 carries, while Braden Jay rushed 11 times for 161 yards and three touchdowns.

Colorado School of Mines struck first on a two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Matocha to running back Nick Roper. The score gave the Orediggers a 7-0 lead with 9:06 to play in the first quarter.

But from there, it was all Bisons.

Harding, who finished the season with a perfect 14-0 record, scored 38 unanswered points and held Colorado School of Mines to 341 yards of total offense to secure the championship victory.

Bison running back Jhalen Spicer started the scoring party with a 10-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. Jay gave Harding the lead with rushing scores of 10 and nine yards in the second quarter to push the Bisons ahead 21-7 at the half.

Harding made a statement on its opening drive of the third quarter with a four-play, 87-yard drive capped by a 73-yard rushing touchdown by Jay.

Leading 31-7 with 11:58 to play in the fourth quarter, quarterback Cole Keylon pounded in a one-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Bisons a 38-7 lead.

Keylon completed two passes for 46 yards and added 20 rushing yards on seven carries.

Florida A&M: 2023 Celebration Bowl Champions

Florida A&M (12-1, 8-0 SWAC) defeated Howard (6-6, 4-1 MEAC), 30-26, to win the 2023 Celebration Bowl. It is the first Celebration Bowl win and the first postseason bowl win in school history for the Rattlers. 

The Rattlers trailed 16-10 at halftime after a slow start but scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to storm back for the win. All-American linebacker Isaiah Major sealed the game with an interception on Howard's final drive with less than two minutes remaining. Major was selected as the Defensive MVP after recording six total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one interception. 

It was a dominant defensive performance for the Rattlers as Howard finished the game with only 187 total yards and less than 3.5 yards per play. The Bison capitalized on great field position to take an early 14-0 lead but failed to establish any offensive consistency throughout the game. 

Running back Kelvin Dean was named the Offensive MVP after leading the Rattlers with 87 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Quarterback Jeremy Moussa completed 19-of-32 attempts for 289 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and two interceptions. All three of Moussa's touchdowns came in the fourth quarter, including the game-winner to Jah'Marae Sheread with five minutes remaining.

Florida A&M becomes only the second SWAC program to win the Celebration Bowl, joining Grambling State (2016). The Rattlers also extended their winning streak to 11 games, which is the second-longest streak in the nation. 

Ohio: 2023 Myrtle Beach Bowl Champions

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.—The Ohio football team (10-3, 6-2 MAC) wrapped up their 2023 season at the Myrtle Beach Bowl with a historic 41-21 victory over the Georgia Southern Eagles (6-7, 3-5 SBC).

 

This win marks Ohio's first time in program history recording consecutive 10-win seasons and made the Bobcats the first Mid-American Conference team to win five consecutive bowl games. Five turnovers forced sets the program record for the most turnovers forced in a bowl game, a record that hasn't been touched since the 1962 Sun Bowl (4).

 

Freshman running back Rickey Hunt was a force to be reckoned with, tying the NCAA bowl record for touchdowns in a game as well as setting the program record for most touchdowns scored in a game (5). On top of that, Hunt (Oklahoma City, Okla.) scored the most touchdowns in a bowl game since Dorian Brown in Bahamas Bowl (4). This stellar performance earned him 2023 Myrtle Beach Bowl MVP accolades. 

 

The game marked multiple career firsts for the Bobcats. Graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro (Tempe, Ariz.) recorded his first collegiate start, going 11-for-16 with 120 passing yards and one passing touchdown. On the ground, Navarro recorded 15 carries on 71 yards. Hunt led the team on the ground, finishing with 115 rushing yards on 17 carries. Of his five touchdowns — which marked his first five collegiate touchdowns — four were rushing and one was receiving. 

 

Safeties Jeremiah Wood (Pickerington, Ohio), Adonis Williams Jr. (South Euclid, Ohio) and Walter Reynolds (Detroit, Mich.)  all snagged their first career interceptions. Wood also recorded one forced fumble, one pass breakup and five tackles. Graduate student Bruce Houston (Lewis Center, Ohio) led the defense with eight total tackles — highlighted by five solo stops — and one quarterback hurry; Reynolds was right behind him with seven tackles on the game. 

 

Freshman kicker Gianni Spetic (Chardon, Ohio) had a perfect day, kicking two successful field goals and five PATs. Freshman kicker Alex Kasee (Sylvania, Ohio) recorded 428 yards on seven kickoffs, averaging 61.1 yards per kick, while redshirt junior punter Jack Wilson (Sylvania, Ohio) amassed 115 yards on three punts. 

 

Wood shut down the opening drive with his first career interception, giving Ohio the ball less than two minutes into the game. The Bobcats concluded the ensuing 11-play, 43-yard drive with a 27-yard field goal, putting Ohio ahead by three. Hunt extended the Bobcats' lead in the second quarter with a two-yard rushing touchdown. After Spetic's extra point, Ohio led 10-0. The next drive, Adonis Williams Jr. snagged Ohio's second interception of the day, preventing the Eagles' offense from gaining momentum. 

 

Hunt scored his second touchdown of the day—and first career receiving touchdown—with 3:16 until halftime. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Shay Taylor's (Mount Perry, Ohio) fumble recovery on the ensuing drive set the Bobcats up to score again, closing the first half with a field goal to take a 20-0 lead. 

 

Reynolds stopped Georgia Southern's first drive of the second half short with Ohio's third interception of the game, returning the ball for 40 yards. Hunt immediately took advantage of regaining possession, scoring with a six-yard rushing touchdown to put the Eagles at a 27-point deficit.

 

Georgia Southern scored their first touchdown with 7:54 remaining in the third quarter, cutting the Bobcats' lead to 20 points with a three-yard rushing touchdown and a successful PAT. Ohio's next drive ended in a 40-yard punt, but Wood's forced fumble followed by a 30-yard return by redshirt junior cornerback Roman Parodie (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) set up a 60-yard drive for Ohio, concluding in a 40-yard rushing touchdown for Hunt and extending Ohio's lead to 34-7. The Eagles quickly recovered, answering with a 65-yard receiving touchdown the following drive. Georgia Southern chipped away at the Bobcats' lead in the fourth as well, opening the final 15 minutes of play with a 15-yard receiving touchdown, putting the score at 34-21. 

 

Hunt wasn't done yet—with 2:52 remaining in the game, he wrapped up an eight-play, 55-yard drive with a nine-yard rushing touchdown, marking his fifth touchdown of the game and Ohio's final time scoring. With 29 seconds on the clock, Navarro took a knee and the Bobcats went into victory formation, solidifying their 41-21 win.  

 

To stay up to date with all things Ohio football, follow the team on OhioBobcats.com, Twitter and Facebook (@OhioFootball), and Instagram (@OhioFB).

 

#OUohyeah 

Iowa Western: 2023 NJCAA Division I Football National Champions

 

Call it 'Council Rock', call it 'Little Bluffs', just don't call it anything but home for Iowa Western Football.

#2 Iowa Western rolled to the 2023 NJCAA D1 Football National Championship on Wednesday night, topping #4 East Mississippi, 61-14, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

The Reivers (12-1) fought back from an early one-point deficit to batter the Lions (10-3) over four quarters of football to become the first back-to-back title winner since EMCC did it five years ago.

As they've done all season long, the 'Darkside' defense set the tone of the game early, forcing heralded Lions' QB Ty Keyes into a pair of hurried throws in a three-and-out on the game's opening possession.

Head Coach Scott Strohmeier's offense tested the waters on their first possession, rushing for three short gains before kicking the ball away on a Max Bartachek punt.  

The Lion offense appeared to have their feet underneath them on their second drive, converting three first downs to get into Reiver territory before a holding penalty set them behind the chains. The Reivers took advantage coming up with their first QB sack of the game on 3rd and long as Jaylen Pettus took down Keyes for an eight-yard loss to force another EMCC punt.

After a trio of runs on drive number one, Hunter Watson delivered with his arm on drive two, finding LJ Fitzpatrick for a short gain from the 25-yard line and Latrell Bonner for 17-yards and a first down on the drive. A surprised offensive lineman even got involved as Caleb Jones caught a deflection for a two-yard gain, his first catch as a Reiver. A 15-yard facemask followed by a Jonathan Humpal 23-yard run gave the ball to the Reivers inside the redzone before Watson delivered a perfect strike to Bryant Williams in the endzone from 19-yards out for the game's first score. Bartachek's PAT banged off the right upright to leave the score at a 6-0 Reivers' advantage.

EMCC struck right back when Jaylon York returned the ensuing kickoff 91-yards for the score as the Lions' took a 7-6 lead on the extra point.

Special teams coach Eric Finney immediately dialed up a trick play on the return with Fitzpatrick handing off to Jack Wattier who flipped to Joshua Pierre-Louis to set the Reivers up just shy of midfield. 

Strong running by Humpal, a first down pass to Nate Sullivan and a long reverse run by Louis Brooks set the Reivers up inside the Lion's redzone again. Watson surged into the endzone from one yard out to give the Reivers back the lead for good at the end of the first quarter. Lane Feierfeil was successful on the point after, forced into duty due to an injury by Bartacheck on EMCC's kickoff return score.

After both teams exchanged punts, EMCC earned a first down on a long run by Keyes, but were forced into another punting situation just inside Reivers' territory. Jaylen Pettus, one of the few returners from last season's championship team, added to his numbers on the day, blowing by his blocker to stuff the kick of Trace Beard and then raced out to cover the loose ball himself.

Bryant Williams converted a first down on his first positive carry of the day and then found the endzone on his second catch of the day, catching and spinning in the air, before sprinting in for the score untouched. Max Bartachek, back in for place kicks, was true on the PAT to increase the lead to 13, at 20-7, with 9:29 to play in the half.

A tackle for loss by Nathan Hale started the next EMCC drive and Capri Wilson took care of the rest, tipping away Keyes pass on 2nd down and picking up his second sack of the season on third to force another punt by the Lions and the Reivers went back to work on offense.

Watson showed off his speed with a 29-yard gain into East Mississippi territory before rushing for another 1st down on the following play.  After an incompletion and a negative rush, Watson found LJ Fitzpatrick for a big first down to the EMCC 7-yard line. After a three-yard gain by Shawn Gary, Jr. it was Jonathan Humpal finding the endzone as the lead ballooned to 20 points before halftime.

"We've made them one-dimensional, we're playing really good," said Head Coach Scott Strohmeier at the break, "it's 30 minutes, we've got 30 more to do."

The Lions were fortunate the lead didn't increase even more after turning the ball over inside their own 30. Head Coach Buddy Stephens elected to go for it on 4th and 1, but running back Jaylen Jennings fell down at the line of scrimmage and IWCC took over at the visitor's 28-yard line. The Reivers were unable to capitalize on the gaff, with EMCC getting the ball back before missing a long field goal before the end of the first half.

The second half started with another pair of punts and the Reivers setting up at their own 25-yard line for their second offensive drive, the same place they took over from in the first half on their first scoring series. As the series proved, it would be their first scoring series of the half once more. After Watson led the Reivers to the EMCC 45-yard line, he did the rest on his own, nearly losing his pants on his second TD run of the day.  

Defensively, the Reivers continued to give the Lions fits. Ahmad Johnson turned in back-to-back tackles on East Mississippi's next possession before Keyes threw incomplete on third down and EMCC punted the ball away again.

After missing numerious games this season due to injury, LJ Fitzpatrick took over for the Reivers, grabbing three balls from Watson for 47 of his 89 yards on the day, including a 10-yard score to build the lead to 41-7.  The lone EMCC score of the game cut the lead to 41-14 with one quarter to play.

In the fourth, backup quarterback Chad Kearns tossed his first Reiver touchdown, a beautiful throw to Latrell Bonner for his fifth touchdown of the year, holding the ball with one hand while breaking his fall with the other as he got both feet in for the catch.

Jonathan Humpal cruised for his second score of the game, going 45-yards for the score with 9:52 still to go in the contest as the Reivers inched closer to the NJCAA Championship game record 66 points.

EMCC's lone offensive turnover of the day came with five minutes to go as Walt Gray turned in a strip sack of Ty Keyes.  Dominic Wiseman recovered the football to help IWCC finish the season at plus 20 in turnover ratio.

Trevor Burnett ran three times on the final scoring drive of the game for IWCC, picking up a pair of 20-yard gains before racing 26-yards for the final score of the night.

The Reivers outgained EMCC on the day 553-317, holding Lions' QB Ty Keyes to 270 total yards and allowing only 56 total rushing yards on the day.

The IWCC rushing attack gained 335 yards of the 553 total yards in the game and posted not one, but two rushers above the 100-yard mark.  QB Hunter Watson carried 14 times for 108 yards, equaling the rushing output of teammate Jonathan Humpal on the day.  Watson also turned in his first plus 200-yard passing game of the season tossing three scores and rushing for a pair of IWCC's five rushing touchdowns.

"He's been locked in all week, he's focused, he's competitive and he made some great throws today." said Strohmeier of his starting quarterback.

Defensively the Reivers picked up four more quarterback sacks to add to the season total, a program record 62 on the year.  The team also recorded 139 tackles for loss, including 11 in their dominating championship game performance.  Pettus had a pair of those QB sacks to go along with his blocked punt, while Ahmad Johnson chipped in a game high seven tackles.  Joshua Pierre-Louis, Clem McCullough and Clev Lubin finished with five tackles apiece.

The game capped several notable performances for IWCC.  Hunter Watson becomes the only QB to start 13 games in a season as the Reivers have never played more than 12 games in a single season before this year. The QB also moved inside the Top 10 in total passing yards in a career, with 1904 passing yards this season, his 22 TD passes rank sixth for a single season with the all-time mark of 39 held by Jake Waters set during the 2012 season.

Bryant Williams moved into second place on the all-time rushing list, his two-year total of 1,454 yards moved him past Mekhi Sargent, who posted his total of 1,449 in a spectacular 2017 season.

ALL-TIME CAREER RUSHING YARDS

2011-12 Aaron Wimberley 2,037

2022-23 Bryant Williams 1,454

2017 Mekhi Sargent 1,449

2013 Akise Teague 1,343

2018-21 Milton Sargbah 1,225

 

Jonathan Humpal, from Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, surged in to the Top 10 on the single season rushing list, his 808 yards moved him past Williams and Kevis Streeter who rushed for 751 yards in the inaugural season of IWCC football.

ALL-TIME SINGLE SEASON RUSHING YARDS

2017 Mekhi Sargent 1,449

2013 Akise Teague 1,343

2012 Aaron Wimberley 1,150

2010 Jalen Singleton 939

2011 Aaron Wimberley 887

2019 Zaquandre White 876

2014 Devon Paye 819

2023 Jonathan Humpal 808

2009 Kevis Streeter 751

2022 Bryant Williams 749

 

Watson's 717 rushing yards this season puts him just outside the single season Top 10 in 12th place, it's the second most rushing yards by a Reiver QB in a single season and with his effort, he pushes James Graham, this season's QB Coach, outside of the Top 5 for QB single season rushing yards.

SINGLE SEASON RUSHING YARDS - QB

2017 Kai Locksley 723

2023 Hunter Watson 717

2013 Tay Bender 566

2009 Dominique Corder 509

2018 T.J. Starks 498

 

LJ Fitzpatrick also finds himself among the all-time leaders, even after an injury marred 2023 season, Fitzpatrick's numbers are good enough for a Top 10 finish in all-time career yards.

ALL-TIME CAREER RECEIVING YARDS

2012 Deon Long 1,626

2014-15 Taj Williams 1,597

2010-11 Matt Waters 1,544

2012-13 Geronimo Allison 1,300

2011-12 Andrew Stone 1,173

2017-18 Nick Singleton 1,155

2015-16 Nick Easley 1,125

2018-19 Marcell Barbee 1,052

2013-14 Alex Reed 916

2022-23 LJ Fitzpatrick 883

 

Williams matched his 2022 title game TD total with a pair of catches, those two scores moved him from a tie for 10th in career TD's into a tie for sixth for career, non-kicker, scoring.

ALL-TIME CAREER SCORING (non-kickers)

2011-12 Aaron Wimberley 28

2012 Deon Long 25

2017 Kai Locksley 20

2014-15 Taj Williams 20

2010-12 Jake Waters 18

2018-21 Milton Sargbah 17

2017 Mekhi Sargent 16

2022-23 Bryant Williams 16

2010-11 Matt Waters 15

2011-12 Andrew Stone 14

 

The 61 total points finished just shy of the 66 that Northwest Mississippi posted in the 2015 NJCAA National Championship against D3's Rochester Community & Technical College, the only time in the last 30 years that voters put an NJCAA D3 team in the title game.  The Yellowjackets lost to the Rangers, 66-13, in the 2015 Mississippi Bowl.

Defensively, the Reivers, led by Defensive Coordinator Mike Blackbourn, continued to wreak havoc on even the most potent offenses.  The Reivers allowed just 239 yards per game and just over 70 yards rushing per contest. The 2023 'Darkside' averaged nearly 11 tackles for loss per game and set the program mark for sacks in a season with 62.  The previous high mark was 56 set just last season, a huge source of pride for defensive line coach Aaron Terry.

"Ultimately, it's the stability that we're able to have as a staff," said Coach Strohmeier, "Black (Mike Blackbourn), AT (Aaron Terry), Finney (defensive backs coach Eric Finney), Monthei (asst. defensive lin coach Jeff Monthei) just go to work and take care of the 'D' and that allows me to just focus on the offensive side, this year we added a key piece in Tristan (offensive coordinator Tristan Speer), Brant's back (running back coach Brant Anderson) and we're able to add some former players to the staff in James (2022 QB James Graham) and Kendrick (former O-lineman Kendrick Davis).  Throw in the managers and filmers and of course all of the thankless work that Reese (dir. of football operations Reese Baumgartner) does off the field and it's an unbelievable staff.  I'm very fortunate with that and the fact that the administration is one hundred percent behind what we're doing."

The 2022 & 2023 Football teams joins Women's Soccer (2022 & 2023), Volleyball (2020/Spring '21 & 2021), and Indoor Track & Field (2021 & 2022) as teams to go back-to-back as champions in Iowa Western Athletics' history.

Overall, it's the third championship in five tries for Coach Strohmeier and his staff in 15 seasons of football. In addition to shutting out Hutchinson, 31-0, last year in Little Rock, the Reivers topped Butler in the 2012 Graphic Edge Bowl in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The defense of the Reivers' national titles will begin in the Reivers' 16th season of football and is tentatively scheduled to start with a home game against Hutchinson Community College in week one of the '24 slate.  The official schedule will be released in 2024.

The annual Blue-White Spring game is also tentatively scheduled for May 3rd, 2024 at Titan Stadium at Lewis Central High School.

Cortland: 2023 NCAA Division III Football National Champions

SALEM, Va. (AP) — Zac Boyes threw for 349 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 123 yards, Cortland stopped a 2-point conversion attempt with 90 seconds remaining, and the Red Dragons beat defending champion North Central 38-37 on Friday night for their first NCAA Division III championship.

Cortland (14-1), playing in the Stagg Bowl for the first time in program history, handed North Central (14-1) its first loss since the 2021 championship game. The Cardinals, in their fourth straight title game, won the 2019 national title in addition to last year.

Both teams scored in the final 1:41 — with North Central electing to go for 2 instead of a potential tying extra point with 1:20 to go. Quarterback Luke Lehnen was stuffed on a run to the left side and Cortland recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.

“It means everything. I was over there talking to the officials on the sideline when we were kneeling it out and I’m like ‘We can kneel it, right? We can kneel it out and clock’s at zero’ and he said yes,” Cortland coach Curt Fitzpatrick said. “I can’t believe it. It’s amazing. I’m so proud of our players and coaches and our fan base that drove seven hours to be here.”

Cortland converted on a fourth-and-5 play near midfield with 3:49 to go in the fourth quarter and Cole Burgess ended the drive with a catch in the backfield before racing down the sideline for a 21-yard touchdown.

North Central scored 21 seconds later when DeAngelo Hardy was left wide open over the middle of the field and he cut back a defender to race for a 60-yard touchdown. The Cardinals, who average 60 points per game and rarely kick field goals, were denied back-to-back championship on the goal line.

North Central entered with the nation’s longest active win streak with 29. South Dakota State, which won its FCS semifinal game on Friday, has 28 straight wins, followed by Washington (20), Florida State (19) and Division II Harding (18).

The Red Dragons’ trip to the title game included three road victories and one at home — ending in a 12th straight victory.

Three of the first four drives of the game ended in fourth down stops in the red zone.

Cortland avoided being shutout in the first half of a game for the first time since 2016 when it drove 55 yards in 51 seconds — aided by a 15-yard penalty — to get within 7-3 after Mike Baloga’s 31-yard field goal.

Cortland began the second half with a seven play, 72-yard drive ending in Burgess’ 9-yard touchdown grab for a 10-7 lead. A video replay overturned the call on the field as Burgess got a foot down before going out of bounds.

It was just the second time all season that North Central trailed in a game — with the other coming in the fourth quarter of the semifinals.

North Central tied it at 31-all with 7:16 remaining on Lehnen’s 64-yard run.

Lehnen, who won the Gagliardi Trophy, the premier D-III individual award, threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 159 yards and another score for North Central. Joe Sacco added 159 yards rushing, including his 20th rushing touchdown of the season, to reach the 100-yard mark for the 11th time this season. Hardy made five catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.

Boyes became the second quarterback in school history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100. Burgess finished with 11 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns for Cortland. Joe Iadevaio also had two touchdown grabs and 95 yards. JJ Laap made two catches for 75 yards and a score.

North Central’s third made field goal of the season — in three attempts — came with 3:16 left in the third quarter to tie it at 17-all.

FFXIV: Starlight Celebration 2023.

#FFXIV #StarlightCelebration

How Long Beach State prepared for Bronny James' debut and won

ByMyron Medcalf 

Sunday, December 10, 2023 8:14PM

Long Beach State tried to stay cool.

The Beach were about to play the biggest college basketball game of the weekend, thanks to Bronny James, who was set to make his Division I debut for USC five months after suffering cardiac arrest during a workout in July.

The lines outside Galen Center -- where the school announced a sellout on Friday once the freshman star's debut was announced -- snaked down the street. Tickets on the secondary market had sold for hundreds -- and in some cases, thousands -- of dollars. LeBron James, Bronny's dad, was rumored to be attending. Still, the Beach believed they had settled down by the time tipoff approached.

As the national anthem echoed through the speakers in the arena, however, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar entered the building, and the entire roster turned their heads.

"LeBron is about 6-foot-9, 240 pounds. ... Of course we all noticed him," LBSU junior Jadon Jones, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds after LBSU upset USC 84-79, told ESPN. "The crowd erupted as soon as his face was on the jumbotron. We saw Rich Paul there."

When Bronny entered Sunday's game early in the first half, the crowd cheered. The USC fans rose to their feet whenever he touched the ball. And they roared after his chase-down block on Jones. He followed the play with an assist to Vincent Iwuchukwu, his USC teammate who had also suffered cardiac arrest in 2022 during a team workout.

And just like that, the Trojans fed off the energy and entered halftime with a double-digit lead.

Facing Bronny & Co. in that building was going to be more difficult than Long Beach State had imagined.

"We just didn't fight early in the game," said longtime LBSU head coach Dan Monson.

Nearly 72 hours earlier, Monson forgot he was in a room full of Gen Z kids. He told his players that they weren't "the Washington Generals."

He was, of course, referring to the old nemesis of the Harlem Globetrotters, the flashy assembly known for its trick shots and dribbling maneuvers in the 1960s and 1970s. The Generals rarely won when the two teams played. Monson's point was that Long Beach State had a chance against the Trojans.

There was just one problem.

"None of them knew what I was talking about," Monson said.

But he also reminded them that Sunday's game could be memorable.

"There are a lot of games that come and go and you're not going to remember them," he said he told his team. "This is one of those games, for good or bad, you're going to remember the rest of your life because of the circumstances. You have to play with emotion, but you can't be emotional."

When he tried to revive the Washington Generals metaphor again at halftime, his team finally seemed to get it, and returned for the second half with renewed energy. Then Bronny made his first shot: a 3-pointer from the wing with 13:10 to go in the game.

All the talk about staying focused and poised seemed to disappear with the crowd on fire.

As the Beach looked around the arena and heard the noise, they realized they had entered an environment unlike anything they had seen in the past.

"I had to call a timeout," Monson said. "I had to settle that down a little bit. When he hit that 3-pointer, the crowd was at a decibel level few arenas will get to this year."

As play continued, though, he also noticed a strange change come over his team's opponent.

In the first half, the Bronny hype had driven the Trojans and fueled an emotional charge. In the second half, however, they began to show signs of fatigue. Maybe the pregame pageantry had been a lot for USC, too, he wondered.

Just like that, the game started swinging in LBSU's favor, and regulation ended with USC -- a 13.5-point favorite entering the game -- heading to overtime with the Beach, a stunning reversal.

"Our first thing was just to stay calm," Jones said about his team's comeback.

The Beach understood the crowd would be large and the atmosphere would reflect the moment. At the same time, they weren't really worried about Bronny, who finished the game with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists and 1 block in 17 minutes off the bench. The Beach figured it would take time for him to adjust in his first college game. Veteran Boogie Ellis and freshman Isaiah Collier, the projected No. 1 pick in ESPN's latest NBA mock draft, were the bigger threats.

"To be honest, Bronny wasn't our biggest priority in the scout," Jones said. "He's a good young player. But he's still a freshman in his first game."

Ellis and Collier tried to carry their team through overtime, but the game ended with Long Beach State pulling off the upset and winning its first game at USC since 1987.

Monson didn't focus on the result as he went through the handshake line. The game, he said, was a celebration of Bronny's recovery more than anything else.

"I told Bronny after the game, 'Congratulations,'" he said. "What he's been through is way bigger than this game. To see him back out there and his proud dad there and his mom, that's way more important than anything else."

Once they finished celebrating the victory, the Beach showered, got dressed and hopped onto their team bus for the 40-minute ride back to campus, thinking about the way they had played spoiler on Bronny's big night, and how they could use the win to fuel success the rest of the season.

"They got ahead of us quickly," Jones said. "But we were able to calm the storm."

Riverside: 2023 CCCAA Football Champions

RIVERSIDE - Gabe Panikoski kicked a 23-yard field goal as time expired to give host Riverside City College a 24-21 victory over defending champion College of San Mateo in the 3C2A Football State Championship game Saturday afternoon at Wheelock Stadium.

Riverside (12-1), appearing in a fourth consecutive state championship game, had to respond after the Bulldogs (11-2) completed a 78-yard drive with 2:01 remaining to tie it with a 1-yard run on a direct snap to Valentino Foni (his second such tally of the game). That was set up by a 19-yard third-down pass from Anthony Grigsby to Tyler Bourland, who made a spectacular one-handed catch, that just missed getting into the end zone.

Tigers quarterback Jordan Barton took control after the kickoff, marching from his own 25 to the 6-yard line. The final dramatics were set up by Barton's 17-yard scramble to the seven (from the CSM 24), going out of bounds with nine seconds remaining. Barton, after a 1-yard run to the six, took his final timeout with four seconds to go, setting up Panikoski for the game-winner.

"I thought it was going to go into overtime," said Riverside coach Tom Craft. "But Barton was resourceful. He's been doing that all year."

The ending dramatics also reminded Craft of some history. "We did the same thing 30 years ago to beat San Francisco in the title game," said Craft, who was the Palomar College coach at that time. "We won it on a field goal with three seconds left."

Barton completed 22 of 31 passes for 201 yards, ran (and scrambled) 18 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns - to earn game MVP honors. Riverside running back Bryce Strong rushed for 76 yards and a TD on 16 carries and caught 9 passes for 97 yards - to gain offensive player of the game recognition. The Bob Stangel defensive player of the game was RCC frosh lineman Esaia Bogar with 8 tackles, including a 15-yard sack, and a QB hurry.

Grigsby was the game-passing leader with 236 yards, completing 19-of-26 throws, including a TD. He led the Bulldogs on a 65-yard drive with their first possession after CSM  -held the Tigers to a quick initial 3-and-out. A 38-yard Grigsby to Fidel Pitts pass was the big play on the drive, completed with Foni's 3-yard run.

Riverside responded with a 75-yard drive that the Bulldogs appeared to halt at their own 4-yard line. The Tigers had settled for Panikowski's successful 21-yard field goal. The Bulldogs were called for holding, however, and Craft took the points off the board. Now at the two, Strong rushed quickly into the end zone to tie it.

On their next possession, Barton took the Tigers 83 yards in nine plays, scrambling for the final 10 yards with a leap into the end zone for a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.

San Mateo, however, was determined to tie it at the half. Grigsby took the Bulldogs 65 yards in the final 1:09 of the period, connecting with Pitts on a 42-yard play to get things started and finishing with a 3-yard toss to Terence Loville for the equalizer.

The game remained knotted into the fourth quarter. Barton got things going by engineering a 62-yard drive - capped by his own 14-yard run for a 21-14 advantage with 9:50 remaining.

Led by Strong and Barton, Riverside rushed for 221 yards against the usually stingy Bulldogs and had a total offense of 422 yards.

San Mateo had 111 yards on the ground (with Sanchez and White each netting 46 yards) and 254 passing for 365 total yards. Pitts caught 4 passes for 115 yards and Loville 4 for 43.

Arona Mata'u led CSM on defense with 9 solo tackles and 3 assists.

Riverside captured its second all-time championship, joining its 2019 win, also over CSM. The Bulldogs were looking to be the state's first back-to-back champion since Mt. San Antonio in 2009 and 2010. 

(Fred Baer, CCCSIA)

DuPage: 2023 NJCAA Division III Football National Champions

Sophomore quarterback Robert Brazziel made the biggest play of his life when two-time defending NJCAA Division III champion College of DuPage needed it most.

 

COD, which dominated the first half, found itself trailing 29-26 with 1:03 left in the game.

 

On a third-and-goal play from the 16, Brazziel checked off his tight end as the primary receiver, and found wide out Fabian Baez deep in the left corner for the touchdown as the Chaparrals went on to win their third national championship with a thrilling 33-29 victory over Rochester Community and Technical College before a crowd of 2,500 at Bjarne Ullsvik Stadium and MacDougall Field.

 

"When we needed a play from Robert at the most important time of the game, he came through,'' Chaparrals head coach Matthew Rahn said. "I could not be prouder of the way Robert played today. Tremendous leadership and to have the presence of mind to stay cool and find Fabian for the game-winning TD is really something.''

 

COD dominated the first half, building a 24-7 lead thanks to three touchdowns from All-American Jaden McGill. The Naperville native delivered a three-run yard TD on COD's opening possession, and then added two more in the second quarter.

 

But Rochester (8-3 overall) answered back with a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter and grabbed the lead when running back Raphael Manning scored on a 4-yard run with 5:08 to go. Rochester added the two-point conversion and the Chaps found themselves needing a game-winning drive with precious time running out.

 

On the kickoff, McGill raced 50 yards to the Rochester 44, and COD picked up 15 yards on a personal foul call and COD opened at the 29.

 

The Chaps worked themselves to a first-and-goal from the Yellowjackets 6, but lost 10 yards on the next two plays setting up Brazziel's heroics.

 

McGill, who rushed for 54 yards on 15 carries, also had three receptions for 19 yards and totaled 98 yards on two kickoff returns to earn the game's most valuable player honors.

 

Setting up the Chaps' final drive, McGill trusted the schemes set up by special teams assistant coach J.R. Niklos.

 

"The blocks and the schemes are what we work on in practice,'' McGill said. "It didn't really matter what direction I wanted to go. My teammates set me up so well all day long and I was just looking for a seam to get some distance.''

 

Brazziel finished 14 of 24 passing with 134 yards along with one interception. He rushed for 16 yards and kept the Chaps ahead for nearly the entire game.

 

The Chicago native picked up the start when regular-season starter Peyton O'Laughlin sustained an injury in the final regular season game against Georgia Military.

 

"We didn't change anything because of Peyton's status,'' Braziel said. "From the third string to the starter, we all work together and practice with the top unit. I felt prepared and it was really something to find Fabian in the end zone.''

 

Braziel's play call, an 81 Flint, called for the quarterback to look at his primary target, tight end Braden Downs was the primary receiver.

 

"I checked down and looked left and saw Fabian in the corner,'' he said. "It looked good going out and Fabian looked even better making the catch.''

 

The victory secured College of DuPage's 42nd overall NJCAA title and marked a perfect 3-for-3 in title appearances since the NJCAA recognized non-scholarship football with a national title.

 

"We're thrilled to earn another title,'' Rahn said. "Our program will always be about placing kids at the next level of college football. We want them to succeed on the field and in the classroom.

 

"But there's no doubt, our success allows us to build upon our success. They know they can compete for a national title at College of DuPage.''

Jayden Daniels: 2023 Heisman Trophy Winner

Senior quarterback Jayden Daniels from Louisiana State University was announced as the 89th winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy during ESPN’s 2023 Heisman Trophy Ceremony Presented by Nissan on Saturday (Dec. 9), originating from Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, N.Y.

Fellow Heisman finalists quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Washington, quarterback Bo Nix of Oregon and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State finished second, third and fourth, respectively, in the Heisman balloting.

Daniels is LSU’s third Heisman winner as he joins Joe Burrow (2019) and Billy Cannon (1959) among Tigers to hoist the bronze statue. He is also the 20th quarterback in the last 23 years to win the award and the 39th quarterback overall.

The 6-foot-4 Daniels, born in San Bernardino Calif., completed 236-of-327 passes for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns with just four interceptions while also rushing for 1,134 yards and another 10 scores. 

He leads the nation in total offense (4,946), TDs responsible for (50), passer rating (208.0, currently above the NCAA record), yards per pass attempt (11.7) and rushing yards by a quarterback (1,134) while his 40 TD passes are tied for first. 

Daniels earlier this week was named the 2023 AP Player of the Year in addition to winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards. He is also a five-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week winner this season.

He became the first player in FBS history to rush for 200 yards and pass for 350 yards in a game when he did it against Florida on Nov. 11, collecting 372 yards through the air and 234 on the ground. The 606 total yards broke the SEC record. Daniels joined Heisman winner Johnny Manziel as the only other player in SEC history to pass for 3,500 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season and is the eighth player to do it overall.

Daniels’ passer rating of 208.01 is a Heisman best and his 4,946 total yards is tied for the third-most by a Heisman winner, matching 2018 winner Kyler Murray’s total. His 50 total touchdowns are the seventh most in Heisman history and his 3,812 passing yards is 12th most.

Daniels is the fifth player in the last seven years who won the award after transferring and he is the first Heisman winner born in California since Matt Leinart won it in 2004. Despite the drought, California has still produced 14 Heisman winners, more than any other state.

He is just the third senior to win the award since 2006, the other two including Burrow (2019) and DeVonta Smith (2020). Daniels, the first Heisman winner coached by Brian Kelly, is the 34th winner from the SEC. 

Penix Jr. is Washington’s highest finisher ever in Heisman balloting, topping defensive tackle Steve Emtman’s fourth-place finish in 1991. Nix is Oregon’s highest finisher since Marcus Mariota won the award in 2014. Harrison Jr. is Ohio State’s highest finisher since C.J. Stroud was third in 2022. 

The 2023 Heisman Trophy ballots went out to 928 electors, which includes 870 members of the media, our 57 living Heisman winners and one overall fan vote presented by Nissan, premier partner of the Heisman Trophy. All ballots were submitted electronically to the independent accountants at Deloitte.

Rounding out the top 10 finishers in the 2023 Heisman voting were:

5. Jordan Travis, Florida State

6. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

7. Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State

8. Cody Schrader, Missouri

9. Blake Corum, Michigan

10. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Heisman voting results 2023

Finish Player Pos. School Points 1st 2nd 3rd

1 Jayden Daniels QB LSU 2,029 503 217 86

2 Michael Penix Jr. QB Washington 1,701 292 341 143

3 Bo Nix QB Oregon 885 51 205 322

4 Marvin Harrison Jr. WR Ohio State 352 20 78 136

5 Jordan Travis QB Florida State 85 8 19 23

6 Jalen Milroe QB Alabama 73 4 8 45

7 Ollie Gordon II RB Oklahoma St. 31 1 2 24

8 Cody Schrader RB Missouri 29 1 2 22

9 Blake Corum QB Michigan 28 3 2 15

10 J.J. McCarthy QB Michigan 21 1 7 4

Columbus Crew: 2023 MLS Cup Champions

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Columbus Crew have turned their bold, possession-centric style into the league's ultimate prize, capturing MLS Cup 2023 presented by Audi with a 2-1 win over LAFC.

Head coach Wilfried Nancy's team produced a masterclass performance Saturday at rain-soaked Lower.com Field, resulting in the Eastern Conference club's third-ever MLS Cup after their 2008 and 2020 squads also entered the history books as champions.

First-half goals from Cucho Hernández (33') and Yaw Yeboah (37') gave Columbus a cushion to absorb a Dénis Bouanga (74') lifeline, denying LAFC's MLS Cup repeat quest. In the process, head coach Wilfried Nancy's group has climbed the 29-team mountaintop that began with MLS is Back weekend on Feb. 25.

Before raising the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, Columbus pulled ahead through Cucho's authoritative penalty kick – helping him earn MLS Cup MVP presented by Audi honors and finish with an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs co-leading five goals. That opportunity arose when referee Armando Villarreal pointed to the spot, judging LAFC defender Diego Palacios to have handled a flicked-up touch from Diego Rossi.

The Crew, the league's highest-scoring team in 2023, quickly doubled their advantage when Yeboah capped an 11-pass buildup. The Crew's left wingback was on the receiving end of Malte Amundsen's line-splitting through ball, then sliced home an outside-the-foot finish past goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.

But, as was so often the case in 2023, Bouanga would not be silenced. The Best XI forward slipped a second-effort shot past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, drawing him level with teammate Carlos Vela for the most calendar-year goals (38) in MLS across all competitions (Vela's MVP-winning 2019).

The Black & Gold's late push fizzled out, though. And the hosts, after seven minutes of second-half stoppage time, were left dancing as champions.

Goals

33' - CLB - Cucho Hernández

37' - CLB - Yaw Yeboah 

74' - LAFC - Dénis Bouanga 

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: Four years ago, only 1,500 fans watched Columbus beat Seattle Sounders FC for the MLS Cup 2020 trophy – a necessity at Historic Crew Stadium amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, 20,802 fans flooded to the club's new state-of-the-art venue for an unforgettable night. Factor in how last year Columbus compensated CF Montréal to extract Nancy as head coach and the club's rise is even more memorable. LAFC? They lost their third final of the year and got a cold reminder of how hard it is to repeat, something not accomplished since the 2011-12 LA Galaxy.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Yeboah's goal was champagne football in motion. What a ball from Amundsen.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Cucho! The MLS Cup MVP crowned a spectacular year and is forever a Crew legend.

Next Up

CLB: End of 2023 season

LAFC: End of 2023 season

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Montreal Carabins: 2023 Vanier Cup Champions

Jonathan Senecal and a stout Montreal Carabins defence proved too much for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Saturday afternoon in Kingston, Ont.

Senecal's second-half touchdown led Montreal to a hard-fought 16-9 Vanier Cup win over a game Thunderbirds squad. The Carabins' defence didn't surrender a touchdown and finished the season allowing just seven field goals in their four playoff victories.

"We were confident coming in with the way our defence was playing," said Montreal head coach Marco Iadeluca. "When your defence plays that kind of football, going into any game you have to feel comfortable.

"And then we have number 12 [Senecal] at quarterback, which is just spectacular."

Seneca was awarded the Hec Crighton Trophy on Thursday as Canadian university football's most outstanding player. He added Vanier Cup MVP honours after completing 11-of-26 passes for 171 yards and an interception, as well as a team-high 50 yards rushing on 10 carries with the TD.

Senecal's seven-yard touchdown run at 8:47 of the third put Montreal ahead 16-6. The drive followed Kieran Flannery-Fleck's 14-yard punt that gave the Carabins possession at their 38-yard line.

"This is what we wanted," Senecal said. "We worked hard for 16 weeks and were able to come out on top, it's just a great feeling.

"Our defence is the best in the country and they just prove that week after week. They just make everything easier."

Montreal linebacker Nicky Farinaccio earned top defensive player honours.

UBC makes it interesting

UBC made it very interesting, pulling to within 16-9 on Kieran Flannery-Fleck's 24-yard field goal at 9:48 of the fourth. The Thunderbirds marched from their 51-yard line to the Montreal 16-yard line before settling for three points.

Later, UBC drove to the Montreal 33-yard line before Garrett Rooker's pass on third-and-four fell incomplete with just over two minutes to play. After their defence held, the Thunderbirds took over at their own 35 with 1:30 remaining, but Rooker's pass on third-and-four gave the Carabins possession at the UBC 41 with 1:02 to play.

That led to a Philippe Boyer punt, which gave UBC a final possession at its 18-yard line with 3.8 seconds to play. Rooker completed his pass to Jason Soriano, but he was tackled short of centre field.

Montreal to face UBC in Vanier Cup after downing Western in Uteck Bowl

"We knew going in we had to be able to move the ball and score some points and we just weren't able to," said UBC head coach Blake Nill. "We moved the ball at times but I thought we had a couple of situations where you'd like to have back but that's the way the game is played.

"Montreal is a very good football team. We're a good team too, we just didn't make enough plays."

'Toughest team we played all year'

Coach Iadeluca had nothing but praise for the Thunderbirds.

"That was the toughest team we played all year," he said. "They were resilient on offence, very athletic on defence.

"But I am so proud of this football team. They work hard, they're disciplined, they wanted this from day one and kept their eye on the prize the whole time."

Rooker finished 26-of-40 passing for 278 yards before an energetic Richardson Stadium gathering of 7,100 on a cool, breezy, overcast afternoon. Isaiah Knight ran for a game-high 73 yards on 15 carries.

Montreal's defence also came up big early in the fourth, stopping Knight cold on third-and-two at the Carabins' 53-yard line to protect their 10-point lead.

These two teams met in the 2015 Vanier Cup, which UBC won 26-23 in Quebec City. The Thunderbirds made their seventh appearance overall, having won four times, while Montreal was in the title game for a fourth occasion, also winning in 2014.

UBC held the edge in total offence with 345 yards to 323 for Montreal, but the Carabins dominated the rushing game with 163 yards to 84 for the Thunderbirds.

City of champions

With the Carabins' win, Montreal becomes the first city since 1980 to boast Vanier Cup and Grey Cup champions in the same year. Last week, the Alouettes upset the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in Hamilton to secure the franchise's first CFL title since 2010.

Edmonton last claimed the Vanier Cup-Grey Cup double title 43 years ago.

Iraghi Muganda had Montreal's other touchdown. Boyer booted the converts while the other points came on a safety.

Flannery-Fleck finished with three field goals for UBC.

Flannery-Fleck's 41-yard field goal at 14:09 of the second quarter cut Montreal's half-time lead to 9-6. The Carabins threatened to extend their advantage with Carl Chabot taking Senecal's third-and-four completion to the UBC six-yard line on the quarter's final play.

It appeared Chabot had room to maybe get out of bounds, stop the clock and give Montreal a final opportunity to at least try a short field goal. Then again, UBC made an interesting decision to decline a holding penalty against the Carabins that gave them their third-and-four situation instead of second and long.

UBC mounted a promising drive from its 23-yard line but it ended with Knight's fumble that the Carabins recovered at their own 39 with 6:02 left in the quarter.

Flannery-Fleck put UBC on the scoreboard with a 32-yard field goal at 4:01.

Muganda's 18-yard TD run at 12:17 of the first put Montreal ahead 9-0. The Carabins went ahead 2-0 at 7:10 when Flannery Fleck conceded the safety.

Vanier Cup headed to Saskatchewan for 1st time

The Vanier Cup will head to Saskatchewan for the first time.

U Sports announced Saturday the '25 Vanier Cup will be played in Regina. The 60th edition of Canadian university football's championship game will go at Mosaic Stadium and coincide with the University of Regina's 50th anniversary.

It will be just the third time ever the Vanier Cup is held in Western Canada.

U Sports also announced Quebec City will host the '26 Vanier Cup. It has staged the game seven times.

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