ROME, Ga. - In a matchup between the two best teams in the nation, the University of Sioux Falls football squad proved it had what it takes to bring down a dynasty.
One year after losing to Carroll College in the NAIA national championship, the second-ranked Cougars were back with a vengeance, upsetting the No. 1 Saints 23-7 Saturday at a saturated Barron Stadium.
Sioux Falls quarterback Lorenzo Brown rushed for 129 yards on 19 carries and was named offensive player of the game, while the Cougars defense scored two touchdowns and nearly shut out the Saints, holding them scoreless until the fourth quarter.
Carroll's freshman quarterback Matt Ritter completed 12-of-22 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown in the game. Ritter, who began the season as the third-string quarterback, wasn't able to break out of the pocket like he had late in the season. He was sacked four times and threw two interceptions.
“I was excited to be in the position I was today,” said Ritter, who replaced freshman Dane Broadhead and junior Gary Wagner after both suffered season-ending injuries. “I think (the loss) really sets the tone for the future and what I have to do to compete with the best.
“I think it's really going to drive me and the rest of the team to work hard in the offseason to make it back here the next year.”
The Cougars know exactly what that's like.
After Trevor Holleman intercepted Ritter's pass with less than 25 seconds left in the game, Brown knelt the ball and the Cougars took the ceremonial dive in the mud that has become a tradition when these two teams play.
“Watching those guys do that slide last year just gave you that feeling, just an awful, awful feeling,” said senior linebacker Tyler Newman. “When ... we got to do that, it was the greatest feeling around.”
The Saints started the slide in 2007 when they upset Sioux Falls 17-9 for the title on a mud-caked field in Savannah, Tenn.
But with a new quarterback and a new style of game, the Cougars were able to exercise their demons and win the school's third national title.
“We built our team a little bit differently than we have in the past, and today it couldn't have worked out any better,” said Sioux Falls coach Kalen DeBoer.
A year after former quarterback Chad Cavender was named NAIA Player of the Year for his ability to throw the ball, Brown led the Cougars to the title with his ability to run it.
The Cougars made a statement to start the game when Brown took it himself on the first three plays from scrimmage, fumbling the snap on third down but still gaining the necessary 5 yards. Despite fumbling four times, the Cougars never gave up a turnover.
Sioux Falls scored on their second drive of the game as Brown spread the ball out to running backs Ryan Lowmiller and Erik Cimpl, or kept it himself. Matt Lindgren capped the drive with a 24-yard field goal with 3:20 on the board.
Meanwhile, the Saints learned a lesson in futility.
They averaged minus-2.8 yards per play in the first quarter, and their tough running game that averaged over 220 yards per game was shut down by Sioux Falls' No. 1 ranked defense.
“It was a pretty good defensive game up to that point,” said Carroll coach Mike Van Diest. “We just always seemed to be back up in our end of the field and we never got a chance to pin them down on the other side.”
Only two elements were working well for the Saints: Punter Zach Thiry was booting the ball nearly 50 yards on every kick and the secondary wasn't giving up any big plays.
The Sioux Falls defense backed Carroll toward their own end zone to start the second quarter, and when Thiry went to punt, the Cougars pounced.
Junior linebacker Kyle Cummings broke around the right side of the line to block the punt and Joe Moen picked it up and returned it 10 yards to the end zone.
“They brought a hard rush, and I guess we'll have to watch the film to see exactly what happened,” Thiry said. “By the time I got the ball off they were there.”
The Cougars changed up their punt coverage right before the play, breaking down the Saints' line.
Just 1 minute 12 seconds into the second quarter, Carroll trailed 10-0, its biggest deficit all season.
It wasn't until the next drive that Carroll was finally able to move the chains for the first time.
Carroll's offense woke up and running backs Gabe Le and John Camino began pounding their way through the mud.
The two led a charge down to the Cougars' 33, but a fumbled snap that never appeared to get past sophomore center Andy Fjeseth's knees was recovered by Sioux Falls' Dom Studzinski.
The Cougars missed a field goal on the next drive, one of three they failed to convert in the game, and Thiry's attempt for a 30-yarder went two feet beneath the crossbar on the Saints' last drive of the third quarter.
Brown, who completed just two passes in the game, found Jon Ryan for a 54-yard touchdown reception, making it 17-0 with 7:04 left in the game to put a dagger in the Saints' hope of a comeback.
Carroll answered right back with their own touchdown pass, a 39-yarder from Ritter to senior receiver Travis Browne. The Stevensville grad finished with seven catches for 78 yards.
Carroll tried to hurry up their offense, but in the rush, Ritter gave up three turnovers on the last three drives of the game, including a fumble that Drew DeGroot returned 30 yards for a touchdown.
The loss ended Carroll's 28-game win streak that began at the start of the 2007 season and finished with the Saints 13-1 on the year.
The Cougars ended 14-0 and have been in the last three national championships, two of them with the Saints.
DeBoer has little doubt that the two teams will meet up again, possibly on the biggest stage once more.
“We probably stirred them a little bit now and they're going to come at it even harder,” DeBoer said. “They're going to be hungry to be back on top and so I can almost guarantee you will see them, we just need to take care of our business so we can be on the other side.”
Carroll 0 0 0 7 - 7
Sioux Falls 3 7 0 13 - 23
First Quarter
SF-FG Lindgren 24, 3:16.
Second Quarter
SF-Moen 10 blocked punt return (Lindgren kick), 13:12.
Fourth Quarter
SF-Ryan 54 pass from Brown (Lindgren kick), 7:04.
CC-Browne 39 pass from Ritter (Janhunen kick), 6:15.
SF-DeGroot 30 fumble return (kick failed), 2:44.
A-6,500.
Car SF
First downs 15 12
Rushes-yards 38-62 43-184
Passing 132 69
Comp-Att-Int 12-23-2 2-8-0
Return Yards 9 50
Punts-Avg. 6-36 4-36
Fumbles-Lost 6-2 4-0
Penalties-Yards 3-20 3-15
Time of Possession 30:36 29:24
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Carroll, Camino 13-48, Le 8-15, Ritter 15-4, Browne 1-4, team 1-(-9). Sioux Falls, Brown 19-129, Cimpl 14-30, Lowmiller 9-27, team 1-(-2).
PASSING-Carroll, Ritter 12-22-2-132, team 0-1-0-0. Sioux Falls, Brown 2-8-0-69.
RECEIVING-Carroll, Browne 7-78, McEwen 2-17, Peterson 2-17, Camino 1-20. Sioux Falls, Ryan 1-54, Cimpl 1-15.
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