The NCAA News - News Features

Northern Colorado saves best for last in title game of II football championship

Northern Colorado erupted for 17 second-quarter points and kept a mistake-prone Carson-Newman offense from scoring in the second half to claim its first Division II Football Championship with a 23-14 victory December 14 in Florence, Alabama.

Mike Schauer kicked three field goals and Billy Holmes rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown to pace Northern Colorado, which finished the season 12-3. The Bears' defense contributed four sacks and ended all five of Carson-Newman's second-half drives with turnovers.

The Eagles' miscues clearly were the difference in the game. Carson-Newman (12-2) ran three more plays than Northern Colorado and gained eight more total yards.

Although it was far from a dominating performance, the nine-point margin was easily the largest of the postseason for Northern Colorado, which won its three previous playoff games by a total of five points. All of those were decided in the final 15 seconds.

"We had a lot of adversity, and look at us now," said Holmes in reference to a rash of midseason injuries and the playoff nail-biters. "We barely made the playoffs, and now we're the best. To be called a champion is a dream every kid grows up hoping for."

That dream looked more like a nightmare in the early going for the Bears, who helped stop their two most promising drives of the first quarter with penalties. Those ill-fated possessions were sandwiched around a 57-yard touchdown run by Carson-Newman's Tyrone Westmoreland that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

But the Bears stopped setting their own traps in the second quarter. On their second play of the period, quarterback Tom Beck found tight end Andy Haase open down the middle for a 36-yard scoring strike.

After recovering a fumble at their own 37-yard line to kill Carson-Newman's next drive, Northern Colorado marched 63 yards in six plays -- including Holmes' one-yard touchdown run -- to take a 14-7 lead.

Carson-Newman bounced back on the ensuing possession, however, to tie the score with a two-yard run by Westmoreland. On the final play of the half, Schauer kicked his first field goal -- a 42-yarder -- to give Northern Colorado a tenuous 17-14 lead.

But the three-point edge was all the Bears would need, as Carson-Newman threw three interceptions and lost two more fumbles in the second half. The Northern Colorado offense, meanwhile, gained just enough yardage (133) to put Schauer in position to make two more field goals (and miss a third that would have given him a title-game record).

Carson-Newman was hampered by the absence of injured quarterback Matt Penland. In his place, sophomore Zac Allen made his first career start and completed 19 of 30 passes for 210 yards. But he struggled with the option offense that was one of the Eagles' key weapons with Penland at the helm.

Westmoreland finished with 99 yards on 13 carries, but he gained just 24 yards after half time.

Northern Colorado defensive tackle Jim Porter finished with eight tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Northern Colo. -- 0 -- 17 -- 3 -- 3 -- 23

Carson-Newman -- 7 -- 7 -- 0 -- 0 -- 14

First Quarter

Carson-Newman -- Tyrone Westmoreland 57 run (Tyson Maples kick) (3:17)

Second Quarter

Northern Colo. -- Andy Haase 36 pass from Tom Beck (Mike Schauer kick) (12:46)

Northern Colo. -- Billy Holmes 1 run (Schauer kick) (7:18)

Carson-Newman -- Westmoreland 1 run (Maples kick) (4:31)

Northern Colo. -- Schauer 42 field goal (:00)

Third Quarter

Northern Colo. -- Schauer 45 field goal (1:29)

Fourth Quarter

Northern Colo. -- Schauer 23 field goal (11:20)

-- Northern Colo. -- Carson-Newman

First Downs -- 16 -- 21

Rushing Yardage -- 216 -- 165

Passing Yardage -- 151 -- 210

Return Yardage -- 89 -- 48

Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) -- 12-24-0 -- 19-32-3

Punts (No.-Avg.) -- 5-44.6 -- 3-38.3

Fumbles (No.-Lost) -- 1-0 -- 4-3

Penalties (No.-Yards) -- 7-60 -- 4-31

Attendance -- 5,745.