COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Andy Starkel's 23-yard field goal with 1:01 remaining proved to be the margin of difference in the Linfield Wildcats' epic 31-28 second-round NCAA Division III playoff victory over previously unbeaten Saint John's (Minn.) Saturday at Clemens Stadium.
 
Linfield (11-0) advances to play Mary Hardin-Baylor (12-0) on Saturday, Dec. 4. UMHB defeated Birmingham-Southern 42-7 in its second-round game at Belton, Texas. The NCAA is expected to confirm host sites for the quarterfinal round on Sunday.
 
Saint John's, champion of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, ended its season at 11-1.
 
Linfield quarterback Wyatt Smith threw three touchdown passes, including two to Joel Valadez, and the Wildcats shrugged off a shaky start to earn the program's first win over the Johnnies in four playoff tries.
 
Smith was sacked three times on the Wildcats' opening drive, but eventually found sufficient protection as the game wore on. The fifth-year senior completed 28 of 40 for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
 
Valadez, a first-year Wildcat, caught 13 passes – two short of the Linfield single-game record – for 102 yards. Junior Connor McNabb had eight catches out of the back field for 64 yards.
 
Linfield safety Tyler Bergeron made a game-high 10 tackles for the Linfield defense, which held Saint John's to 4 of 15 on third-down plays. The Wildcats made the most of two Johnnies turnovers, cashing in 10 points as a result.
 
After SJU took a 7-0 lead with just under 10 minutes to play in the second quarter, the Wildcats countered with Valadez's seven-yard TD grab six minutes later.
 
McNabb, who rushed for a game-high 73 yards, scored on a three-yard dive with 11 seconds to play before intermission, giving the Wildcats momentum heading into the halftime locker room. The go-ahead score was set up by Blake Rybar's recovery of a muffed punt, spotting the ball at the SJU 20-yard line. Three plays later, McNabb knifed over from the 3, putting the Wildcats in front to stay.
 
Linfield twice led by two scores, 28-14 after Valadez's second TD catch from Smith with 2:17 left in the third quarter, and 31-21 when Starkel converted the chip-shot field goal.
 
To their credit, the Johnnies refused to go away quietly, cutting the margin to 28-21 and then 31-28 on a pair of touchdown passes by SJU quarterback Chris Backes.
 
After Backes hit Blake Patrick to pull within 31-28 with 1:02 left, Franco Keplinger recovered the onside kick for the 'Cats, sealing the victory in Linfield's favor.
 
CAT SCRATCH
Saint John's outgained Linfield in total yards, just barely, 326-324…the Wildcats did not commit a single turnover on the day…with 108 touchdown passes to his credit, Smith is closing in on the Linfield career record of 110 TD tosses set by 2005 Gagliardi Trophy winner and current Linfield offensive coordinator Brett Elliott...Saturday's attendance was 2,378...temperature at kickoff was 29 degrees.