The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- December 20, 1999

Bearcats remain standing after four-overtime football thriller

These 'Cats just may have nine lives.

Despite trailing by 17 points at half time and still behind by 15 with three minutes to play in regulation, Northwest Missouri State staged a dramatic rally and outlasted Carson-Newman, 58-52, in four overtimes to defend its Division II Football Championship December 11 in Florence, Alabama.

The game was the longest in terms of the number of extra periods in NCAA football playoff history, surpassing six contests that were extended by three overtimes. Northwest Missouri State's Travis Miles threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to J.R. Hill in the fourth overtime and the Bearcats' defense forced a turnover on Carson-Newman's ensuing possession to cap the comeback.

"It's really a credit to the players that they never gave up," said Northwest Missouri State head coach Mel Tjeerdsma. "I told them they had to show the whole country just what character and commitment they had."

Hill, who keyed the Bearcats' comeback by catching two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, made a leaping grab for the winning score. Miles was sacked on the two-point attempt.

Carson-Newman, trailing for the first time since the 3:39 mark of the first quarter, converted on a fourth-and-5 situation to gain a new set of downs from the 12-yard line. However, the Eagles' Antwon Oliver lost the ball on the next play and Northwest Missouri State's Ryan Miller recovered to end the four-hour-plus contest.

"It was as heart-breaking a loss as you can imagine," said Carson-Newman head coach Ken Sparks. "We know it's just a game, but at the same time it's a game we would have liked to have had finish a little differently."

Northwest Missouri State scored first on a David Jansen 18-yard run, but the Eagles responded with 24 unanswered points and led, 24-7, at half time. The Bearcats pulled to within eight points on two occasions, but Oliver's 12-yard scoring dash with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter increased the Carson-Newman advantage to 44-29.

However, the Miles-to-Hill connection was just beginning to heat up. Just 53 seconds after Oliver's touchdown, the pair cut into the Eagles' lead with a 7-yard score. Hill had a 33-yard reception on the play before the touchdown.

Carson-Newman still seemed to be in control after Jarvonni Jackson recovered the ensuing Northwest Missouri State onsides kick and the Eagles gained 11 yards on the next two plays. The Bearcats' defense then stiffened and forced Carson-Newman to turn the ball over on downs at the Northwest Missouri State 26 with 51 seconds remaining.

Miles bounced back after having to go to the sideline for one play after absorbing a tremendous hit to complete three passes for 45 yards. Following an incompletion, the junior found Hill open on the right sideline for a 34-yard touchdown with only 10 seconds left. Ryan George then made a diving grab at the back of the end zone for the tying two-point conversion.

In the first overtime, Northwest Missouri State stopped Carson-Newman on its possession when Frank Taylor recovered a mishandled pitch. The Bearcats' David Purnell was then wide left on a 36-yard field-goal attempt.

The wide-left syndrome continued on a pair of field-goal tries in the second overtime. Purnell missed a 45-yard attempt after it was partially blocked by Chris Butler and Carson-Newman's Ryan Fleming misfired on a 33-yard effort.

The Eagles forged ahead again in the third overtime when Oliver scored on a 1-yard run and quarterback Leonard Guyton added a two-point conversion run. The resilient Bearcats answered, with Tony Miles scoring his third touchdown of the game on a 15-yard run and Travis Miles competing a two-point conversion pass to Steve Comer.

"It's sad to see either team lose in a game like this," said Travis Miles. "It was just an amazing game and I've never played in one like it."

The 110 points scored by the two teams set new records for all Division II playoff games and the all-divisions mark for championship contests.

Travis Miles threw five touchdown passes as he completed 24 of 45 attempts for 298 yards. Hill finished with seven receptions for 120 yards.

Oliver racked up 194 rushing yards on 30 carries for Carson-Newman, which lost to Northwest Missouri State, 24-6, in the 1998 championship game. The Bearcats became the fifth team in the 27-year history of the championship to successfully defend its crown.

SEMIFINALS

Carson-Newman 42, Northeastern St. 7; Northwest Mo. St. 20, Indiana (Pa.) 12.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Northwest Mo. St. -- 7 -- 0 -- 7 -- 30 -- 0 -- 0 -- 8 -- 6--58

Carson-Newman -- 10 -- 14 -- 6 -- 14 -- 0 -- 0 -- 8 -- 0--52

First Quarter

Northwest Mo. St.--David Jansen 18 run (David Purnell kick) (9:21).

Carson-Newman-Ryan Fleming 38 field goal (5:28).

Carson-Newman--Ques Rumph 86 punt return (Fleming kick) (3:39).

Second Quarter

Carson-Newman--Melvin Oates 1 run (Fleming kick) (8:27).

Carson-Newman--Myron Refoure 20 run (Fleming kick) (3:32).

Third Quarter

Northwest Mo. St.--Seneca Holmes 20 pass from Travis Miles (Purnell kick) (11:54).

Carson-Newman--Oates 1 run (kick failed) (4:54).

Fourth Quarter

Northwest Mo. St.--Tony Miles 7 pass from Travis Miles (Steve Comer pass from Travis Miles) (12:44).

Carson-Newman--Leonard Guyton 10 run (Fleming kick) (7:39).

Northwest Mo. St.--Tony Miles 81 kickoff return (Purnell kick) (7:25).

Carson-Newman--Antwon Oliver 12 run (Fleming kick) (3:34).

Northwest Mo. St.--J.R. Hill 7 pass from Travis Miles (Purnell kick) (2:41).

Northwest Mo. St.--Hill 34 pass from Travis Miles (Ryan George pass from Travis Miles) (0:10).

Third Overtime

Carson-Newman--Oliver 1 run (Guyton run).

Northwest Mo. St.--Tony Miles 15 run (Comer pass from Travis Miles).

Fourth Overtime

Northwest Mo. St.--Hill 13 pass from Travis Miles (run failed).

Carson-Newman Northwest Mo. St.

First downs -- 30 -- 26

Rushes-yards -- 77-419 -- 34-137

Passing Yardage -- 108 -- 298

Return Yardage -- 103 -- 10

Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) -- 7-22-1 -- 24-45-3

Punts (No.-Avg.) -- 3-37.3 -- 4-41.5

Fumbles (No.-Lost) -- 2-2 -- 0-0

Penalties (No.-Yards) -- 12-87 -- 13-93

Time of Possession -- 34:15 -- 25:45

Attendance--8,451.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Carson-Newman--Oliver 30-194, Oates 19-106, Refoure 13-73, Guyton 14-42, Rumph 1-4; Northwest Mo. St.--Jansen 18-54, Tony Miles 4-47, Tucker Woolsey 7-26, Travis Miles 4-7, Purnell 1-3.

Passing: Carson-Newman-Guyton 7-22-1-108; Northwest Mo. St.--Travis Miles 24-45-3-298.

Receiving: Carson-Newman--Rumph 3-36, Jarvonni Jackson 2-20, Brandon Fletcher 1-35, Grant Cockrell 1-17; Northwest Mo. St.--Hill 7-120, Tony Miles 6-65, Holmes 5-70, Comer 2-16, Jansen 2-(minus 7), Woolsey 1-19, George 1-15.