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Pointers Fall
Victim to Linfield Fourth Quarter Rally
Box Score
A matchup of two of the top ranked teams in NCAA
Division III football lived up to its billing on Saturday as Linfield
outlasted UW-Stevens Point for a 46-35 victory on Saturday at Goerke Field.
Wildcats� quarterback Brett Elliott had the
biggest passing day in Linfield history, throwing for school record numbers
of 480 yards, 38 completions, 59 attempts and six touchdowns. Elliott threw
three touchdowns in a fourth quarter that saw Linfield rally from a 10-point
deficit for the win.
Linfield is ranked second in the latest Division
III rankings and won its 26th straight regular season game. UW-Stevens Point
is ranked seventh in the country and lost a regular season game to a
non-conference Division III opponent for the first time since 1981 and the
first time at home since 1974.
While Linfield achieved success through the air,
UW-Stevens Point opened the game accomplishing its offense on the ground.
Cody Childs finished off a 10-play, 63-yard drive with a six-yard score in
the first quarter and, after Linfield�s Garret Wales booted a 48-yard field
goal early in the second period, Ross Adamczak caught a five-yard touchdown
from Brett Borchart to cap a 14-play, 73-yard drive and put UW-Stevens Point
ahead 14-3.
Linfield pulled to within 14-11 on a 13-yard
scoring pass from Elliot to Casey Allen and a two-point conversion by the
same duo with 5:06 left in the half. After a UW-Stevens Point punt, the
Wildcats took their first lead on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Elliott to
Brad McKechnie down the left sideline with 1:38 left in the half. However,
the lead lasted less than minute when Borchart finished off a five-play
scoring drive with a 13-yard quarterback scramble to put the Pointers ahead
21-18 at halftime.
UW-Stevens Point opened the second half with a
touchdown drive for a 28-18 lead when receiver Tony Romano threw his first
career pass for a 19-yard score to Kurt Kielblock.
Linfield drove 80 yards in
nine plays and cut the lead to 28-25 with 7:32 left in the third quarter on
an 11-yard pass across the middle from Elliott to Brandon Hazenberg. The
Pointers were forced to punt after three plays on their next possession, but
UW-Stevens Point defensive back LaRon Ragsdale ripped the ball away from a
Linfield receiver on the Wildcats� next play and returned the interception
19 yards to put UW-Stevens Point back ahead 35-25 with five minutes left in
the third quarter.
The Pointers stopped
Linfield on downs on the next possession, but were forced to punt themselves
and Elliott took over the rest of the way. The junior transfer from the
University of Utah was 10-for-12 for 145 yards in the final quarter, hitting
Tyler Kaluza for an 11-yard touchdown and then Allen for a 10-yard score
with 10:22 left for a 39-35 advantage.
UW-Stevens Point drove to
the Wildcats� 35-yard line with 7:30 left and faced a third-and-10 when
Borchart was intercepted by Chris Parette at the 15-yard line. Linfield
drove to its own 41-yard line and was in a third-and-five situation with
four minutes left when Thomas Ford caught a screen pass and sprinted 59
yards for a touchdown. Borchart fumbled on the Pointers� next play and Zach
Fleming recovered for Linfield to help the Wildcats put the game away.
Allen was Elliott�s favorite
target all day, catching 13 passes for 151 yards. Hazenberg had seven
catches for 62 yards. Childs carried the ball 24 times and gained 72 yards
for UW-Stevens Point. Borchart was 20-for-33 passing for 259 yards and also
rushed for 62 yards. |
