McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Tailback Asa Osbourn rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, and safety Da'Marion Morris intercepted two fourth-quarter passes, leading Mary Hardin-Baylor to a surprising 28-18 upset victory of the Linfield Wildcats in the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs Saturday at soggy Maxwell Field.
UMHB (8-3) advances to play Johns Hopkins Saturday, Dec. 14, in the regional finals in Baltimore, Maryland. Kickoff is set for EST.
Linfield (10-2) saw its nine-game win streak come to an end on its home field. Mary Hardin-Baylor, the runner-up from the American Southwest Conference, extended its win streak over Linfield to six games. UMHB won a third straight NCAA playoff game on the road, having already secured road playoff wins in its home state of Texas over red-hot teams Trinity and Hardin-Simmons.
Though the Wildcats outgained the Cru in total yards, 358-289, three turnovers proved costly, two of which ultimately led to UMHB touchdowns.
Linfield put points on the scoreboard on its opening drive, getting a 29-yard field goal from
Gavin Dalziel to cap an efficient nine-play, 51-yard drive.
On the first play of the second quarter, UMHB tailback Kamerin Ferguson gave the Cru the lead with a 49-yard blast off left-tackle, giving the visitors a 7-3 lead.
After the teams traded three-and-outs, a UMHB punt inadvertently bounced off the back of a Wildcat and recovered by the Cru's Samuel Steffe at the Linfield 19-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Jake Wright rolled right and found Ranius Daromola all alone at the goal line. The extra point by Edwin Lopez put UMHB in front 14-3 with 12:25 to play in the half.
In the waning moments before intermission, UMHB moved the ball to the Linfield 8, but a sack of Wright by
Colby Kalaukoa and a false start penalty pushed the ball back. The Cru then had to settle for a field goal by Lopez, but his 34-yard try sailed wide left.
First-half statistics were fairly even with UMHB leading in total yards at that point, 159-139, including a 65-44 edge on the ground. Linfield was 1 of 7 on third down during the first two quarters. The Cru was flagged for seven first-half penalties while the Wildcats were penalized just once in the opening two quarters.
The Cru promptly extended their lead to begin the third quarter, as Osbourn broke off a 68-yard run up the middle to stretch the Linfield deficit to 21-3 just one minute into the second stanza.
Linfield pulled a measure of momentum back in its favor with 9:52 in the third quarter. The Wildcats marched 73 yards in seven plays for their first touchdown, a three-yard toss from
Luke McNabb to tight end
Will French.
The Wildcats weren't done, pulling to within three points on the ensuing possession. Linfield embarked on a 13-play, 77-yard drive, capped with a four-yard TD run by McNabb on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Blake Eaton passed to
Jacob Slifka in the end zone for the successful two-point conversion to make the score 21-18.
Linfield's defense held the Cru on its next series and the 'Cats took over on their own 35. The shuffling quarterback combo of Eaton and McNabb methodically moved the team down the field. Just as it seemed the 'Cats had everything going their way, Eaton's intended pass for
Connor Wolfe slipped through the senior's hand's and into the open arms of Da'Marion Morris, who sprinted 71 yards up the left sideline to the Linfield 9. Two plays later, Wright swept five yards into the end zone, putting UMHB in front by two scores, 28-18.
Eaton completed 19 of 34 passes for 220 yards in his final game in a Wildcats uniform. McNabb ran for a team-high 99 yards and one TD on 18 carries. He also completed 6 of 9 passes for 49 yards and one TD.
Eaton and McNabb spread the ball around to a bevy of receivers. Martinez caught seven passes for 57 yards, French and
Maclain Stoneking each had five grabs, and
Caleb Woodcock pulled in four passes.
UMHB's sturdy defensive front accounted for six sacks on the day. Durand Hill led the Cru defensive effort with nine tackles, including eight unassisted. Joey Johnson added seven tackles.
Kalaukoa was credited with nine tackles, including a nine-yard sack, to spur the Linfield defense.
Blake Rybar added eight stops and
Connor Stevens had five tackles, including a 15-yard sack.
