PSU WINS WILD ONE!

November 27, 2004 Semifinal Bound: #1 Pittsburg State 50, #4 Northwest 36 PITTSBURG -- Top-ranked Pittsburg State University fell behind 10-0 to start the game and again trailed by nine points late in the second quarter before rallying to claim a 50-36 victory over fourth-ranked Northwest Missouri State University Saturday (Nov. 27) in a wild affair in the NCAA Division II national quarterfinals before a sellout crowd of 10,024 fans at "The Pitt", Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium. The Gorillas (13-0) advance to the national semifinals for the first time since 1995. Pitt State will face the University of North Dakota, a 19-15 winner against two-time defending national champion Grand Valley State University Saturday. The Gorillas will host the Fighting Sioux next Saturday (Dec. 4) at 1 p.m. (CST) for the right to advance to the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championship game at Florence, Ala., Dec. 11. Pitt State, victimized by miscues in a game filled with hijinks, scored the final 14 points and made a pair of interceptions to seal the victory in the game`s final 12:20. Sophomore running back Germaine Race broke a 36-36 tie with a 23-yard run with 9:26 to play in the game. He run capped a six-play, 80-yard drive and answered an eight-play, 80-yard drive by the Bearcats which knotted the score at 36-36 three minutes earlier on Xavier Omon`s 1-yard run. Northwest (11-2), which returned a fumble and a blocked punt for touchdowns in the game, drove the ball to the PSU 3, before senior linebacker Chad Miller intercepted Josh Mathew`s pass attempt in the end zone with 4:57 to play in the game. The Gorillas, who broke a 118-year-old NCAA all-division scoring record on Race`s TD run on their subsequent drive, tacked on a decisive touchdown when senior quarterback Neal Philpot broke loose for a 25-yard scoring scamper with 2:33 to play in the game. Pitt State finished the game with 775 points, besting the old cumulative points mark of 765 points set by Harvard University in 1886. The Crimson set that mark in 14 games that season, while posting a 12-2 record. The Gorillas effectively ended the game two plays after Philpot`s touchdown run, when junior corner Noah Hoppe intercepted a Mathews pass at the PSU with 2:09 remaining. The win helped Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association champion Pitt State sweep the season series against Northwest. The Gorillas captured the 2004 MIAA title with a 21-17 win over the Bearcats in The Fall Classic at Arrowhead III on Nov. 6 in a game that pitted a pair of unbeaten teams meeting in the regular season finale at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. On Saturday, the Gorillas had to overcome a slow start to derail the Bearcats. Northwest got on the board first with Mathews hit Jamaica Rector with an 18-yard touchdown pass with 12:38 remaining in the first quarter. The score came three plays after Race fumbled the ball at the PSU 27 on the Gorillas` opening drive of the game. The Bearcats stretched their margin to 10-0 on a 51-yard field goal by Luis Berlanga with 4:10 remaining in the opening period. Pitt State got on the board early in the second quarter when backup quarterback Andy Majors led the Gorillas on a 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive, which he capped with a 1-yard TD pass to tight end Ryan Noble. Majors entered the game for Philpot, who complained of fuzzy vision after being hit on a running play. The Gorillas took their first lead, 14-10, when Majors tossed a 58-yard TD pass to Jermaine Carpenter at the 11:59 mark of the second period. Carpenter became the third wide receiver in PSU history to enjoy a 1,000-yard receiving season in the game, finishing with four catches for 102 yards. Northwest answered by putting together a 12-play, 97-yard scoring drive with Omon scoring from a yard out for a 17-14 lead with 1:44 to play in the first half. The Bearcats then blocked a Majors punt and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown by Mike Tiehen with 42 seconds to play in the half. Berlanga, who set an NCAA all-division record for consecutive PATs (73) missed the point-after try. Majors then threw an interception, but Mathews returned the favor and PSU`s Eric Wright returned the ball to the NWMSU 42 with 17 seconds to play in the half. Majors tossed a 24-yard pass to Carpenter, then following a pass interference call on Northwest, tossed a 3-yard TD pass to Tim Austin with 4 seconds left to make it a 23-21 game. Northwest again capitalized on a PSU miscue early in the third quarter. Philpot fumbled the ball at the PSU 16 and Mike Tiehen returned it for a touchdown. PSU`s Casey Warlop blocked the subsequent PAT try by Berlanga and Wright scooped the ball up at the PSU 25 and returned it for a 2-point defensive PAT to make it a 29-23 game. One play later, Philpot was fumbled the ball after being sacked by Dallas Flynn and Steve Williams recovered it at the PSU 22. The Bearcats stalled their drive out at the PSU 29 and Cole Vap blocked Berlanga`s 46-yard field goal attempt to thwart the scoring opportunity. The Gorillas tied the score at 29-29 on Joe Taylor`s 1-yard run with 5:24 to play in the third quarter, but Northwest`s Troy Tysdahl blocked Nathan Alleman`s PAT try. Pitt State went in front 36-29 on Philpot`s 10-yard TD pass to Mike Ward with 1:03 left in the third period, but Northwest countered with Omon`s 1-yard run with 12:20 to play in the game. The Pitt State offense piled up 529 total yards in the game. Philpot carried 20 times for 131 yards, while Race had 20 carries for 130 yards. Majors completed 6 of 11 passes for 102 yards and three TDs, while Philpot was 4 of 8 for 50 yards with one TD. Mathews was 19 of 34 passing for 290 yards and one TD with three INTs. Omon rushed the ball 24 times for 85 yards and two TDs. Miller had a team-leading 11 tackles for Pitt State, while Josh Lattimer and Jimmie Taylor added seven stops apiece. Darcell Clark and Tysdahl had a team-leading eight tackles apiece for the Bearcats. Courtesy: PSU Sports Information