By Con Marshall
CHADRON–Quarterback Joe McLain flipped a mid-air somersault into the end zone to cap a 12-yard run up the middle that gave the Chadron State Eagles a wild 76-73 victory over Abilene Christian in the third overtime here Saturday in an NCAA Division II playoff game at Elliott Field.
The final score was the only time the Eagles led. They trailed 35-14 at halftime and 49-20 entering the fourth quarter. The difference was enough to cause some of the estimated 5,000 fans to leave the field. They thought the Eagles’ otherwise great season had come to an end.
But many of those who made the early exit returned after hearing radio reports that Chadron State were rallying. As it turned out, those who came back saw plenty of action.
The Eagles, now 12-0 on the season, tallied 36 points in the fourth quarter, including 17 in the final 4:39, to tie the score at 56-56 with 17 seconds remaining in regulation play and send the donnybrook into overtime.
The drive that netted the tying touchdown covered 92 yards and took just 1:12 off the clock. McLain completed five passes, two of them 16-yarders to tailback Danny Woodhead, an 18-yarder and a 17-yarder to Brandon Harrington and an eight-yarder to Bryce Jarzynka, before finding Joel Schommer wide open in the back of the end zone from 17 yards away.
“It’s funny,” said McLain during the post-game press conference, “when we ran our two-minute drill all year it never worked. But when we really needed it today, it’s nice that it fell into place.”
In the extra sessions, the Wildcats scored in much the same quick-strike fashion as they had used earlier in the four-hour marathon. (Abilene Christian possessed the ball just 11:36 compared to CSC’s 33:24 duing the first three quarters while building its 49-20 lead.)
The Wildcats needed just one play for their first overtime touchdown and only three for their second. But the Eagles were able to answer both times in slower fashion. McLain scored the first overtime touchdown for the Eagles on a one-yard sneak after he’d connected with Harrington on an 11-yard strike and hit Isaac Stockton on a four-yard toss for the second TD after Woodhead had gained 19 yards on a Statue of Liberty play.
After getting a first and goal at the eight in the third overtime, Abilene Christian decided to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Matt Adams.
Chadron State needed just two plays to reach the end zone for the winning score. Woodhead bolted 13 yards up the middle on the first play and McLain used a quarterback draw and went the same route for the winning touchdown. When he saw that he would reach paydirt, the junior from Chadron who was once a ballboy for the Eagles and is now 27-2 as the starter, did his somersault into the end zone.
The points that each team scored breaks the NCAA Division II record for the most points in a playoff game. In addition, the Eagles’ 716 total net yards breaks the old mark national by four yards and CSC’s 116 offensive plays are 17 more than the old record.
“The biggest thing is our kids never stopped believing,” said CSC Coach Bill O’Boyle. “What’s always been special about this group of kids is that they don’t quit.”
The Eagles will host Northwest Missouri State this coming Saturday in the playoff quarterfinals. The Bearcats defeated another Lone Star Conference team, West Texas A&M, 56-28. Northwest won last year’s game 28-21 when the Eagles and Bearcats met in Maryville and went on to reach the championship game.
Besides scoring 21 touchdowns, two field goals and 17 extra points Saturday, the teams combined for 1,369 yards. Abilene Christian rolled up 653 yards to go with the Eagles’ total that is 15 more than CSC had ever accumulated previously.
The Wildcats’ Bernard Scott scored six of his team’s touchdowns while carrying 22 times for 303 yards and catching four passes for 80 yards. His scoring runs included a 90- yard romp that gave the Texas team its 49-20 lead as the third period was closing.
Scott also scored on runs of 46, 2, 5 and 44 yards and went 55 yards for a touchdown with a pass in the third period. He concludes his season with 2,165 yards rushing, 565 yards receiving and 39 touchdowns. The latter breaks the Division II record that Woodhead set last year.
But despite Scott’s spectacular performance, the Eagles were not to be denied. They tallied five touchdowns and added a field goal in the final period, then scored another TD in each of the three overtimes.
McLain completed 37 of 63 passes for 443 yards and six touchdowns and carried 14 times for 84 yards. Stockton and Schommer each caught two of the TD passes. Besides his 17-yard reception in the back of the end zone that tied the score with 17 seconds left in regulation play, Schommer caught a 22-yard TD pass to open the fourth period fireworks.
Woodhead carried a career playoff-high 39 times for 188 yards and scored on runs of two, three and three yards besides going 16 yards to the end zone with a short pass from McLain for CSC’s second touchdown of the fourth quarter.
The 2006 Harlon Hill Trophy winner and college football’s all-time leading rusher now has 1,506 yards rushing this year despite missing all but one play in three games late in the regular season because of a foot injury.
Woodhead has 7,871 career yards rushing, 518 more than any other player in the college ranks. In addition, he moved into second place Saturday in all-purpose yards with 9,359, just 153 behind all-time leader Brian Westbook of Villanova, and has now tied Germaine Race of Pittsburg State of Kansas with 109 career touchdowns.
Harrington and Stockton each caught nine passes and Schommer grabbed eight, all for more than 100 yards, for the Eagles on Saturday.
Abilene Christian quarterback Billy Malone completed 23 of 38 passes for 361 yards and five TDs. Jerale Badon, a 5-8, 185-pound senior who made several spectacular catches, grabbed 10 passes for 178 yards and one TD.
The Wildcats, who scored 50 or more points in half of their regular season games, finish at 10-3.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 OT
Abilene Christian 21 14 14 7 17 17 – 73 Record: (10-3,8-1)
Scoring Summary:
1st 12:32 ACU – Bernard Scott 46 yd run (Matt Adams kick), 6-68 2:28, ACU 7 – CSC 0
06:25 CSC – Danny Woodhead 2 yd run (Travis Atter kick), 12-80 6:01, ACU 7 – CSC 7
06:06 ACU – Bernard Scott 2 yd run (Matt Adams kick), 1-2 0:04, ACU 14 – CSC 7
02:36 CSC – Danny Woodhead 3 yd run (Travis Atter kick), 8-51 3:21, ACU 14 – CSC 14
01:14 ACU – Bernard Scott 5 yd run (Matt Adams kick), 5-61 1:17, ACU 21 – CSC 14
2nd 14:54 ACU – Johnny Knox 12 yd pass from Billy Malone (Matt Adams kick), 2-49 0:18, ACU 28 – CSC 14
04:19 ACU – Bernard Scott 44 yd run (Matt Adams kick), 3-53 0:55, ACU 35 – CSC 14
3rd 06:49 CSC – Isaac Stockton 2 yd pass from Joe McLain (Travis Atter kick failed), 15-53 8:07, ACU 35 – CSC 20
05:06 ACU – Bernard Scott 55 yd pass from Billy Malone (Matt Adams kick), 3-65 1:38, ACU 42 – CSC 20
02:49 ACU – Bernard Scott 90 yd run (Matt Adams kick), 2-96 0:56, ACU 49 – CSC 20
4th 14:00 CSC – Joel Schommer 22 yd pass from Joe McLain (Travis Atter kick), 3-45 0:44, ACU 49 – CSC 27
13:13 CSC – Danny Woodhead 16 yd pass from Joe McLain (Travis Atter kick), 3-22 0:26, ACU 49 – CSC 34
10:52 ACU – Kend. Holloway 13 yd pass from Billy Malone (Matt Adams kick), 7-77 2:14, ACU 56 – CSC 34
08:52 CSC – Aaron Cooksley 16 yd pass from Joe McLain (Joe McLain pass failed), 7-63 1:54, ACU 56 – CSC 40
04:39 CSC – Danny Woodhead 3 yd run (Joe McLain pass failed), 9-74 1:16, ACU 56 – CSC 46
01:54 CSC – Travis Atter 25 yd field goal, 7-27 0:58, ACU 56 – CSC 49
00:17 CSC – Joel Schommer 17 yd pass from Joe McLain (Travis Atter kick), 9-92 1:12, ACU 56 – CSC 56
OT 15:00 ACU – Jerale Badon 25 yd pass from Billy Malone (Matt Adams kick), 2-25 0:11, ACU 63 – CSC 56
15:00 CSC – Joe McLain 1 yd run (Travis Atter kick), 7-25 0:00, ACU 63 – CSC 63
15:00 ACU – Johnny Knox 7 yd pass from Billy Malone (Matt Adams kick), 3-25 0:00, ACU 70 – CSC 63
15:00 CSC – Isaac Stockton 4 yd pass from Joe McLain (Travis Atter kick), 5-25 0:00, ACU 70 – CSC 70
15:00 ACU – Matt Adams 21 yd field goal, 8-21 0:00, ACU 73 – CSC 70
15:00 CSC – Joe McLain 12 yd run, 2-25 0:00, ACU 73 – CSC 76
After I heard the score I thought Nebraska Football was over. BUT IT AIN’T OVER, TILL THE EAGLES GO ALL THE WAY TO ALABAMA!!!