College football: Delaware to play Appalachian State
Joe Flacco threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns, helping No. 13 Delaware edge fourth-ranked Southern Illinois 20-17 on Saturday in Carbondale, Ill., to advance to the Football Championship Subdivision title game.
Omar Cuff ran for 102 yards on 21 carries for the Blue Hens (11-3), snapping the Salukis’ six-game winning streak.
Delaware plays Appalachian State (12-2) Friday in the title game of what used to be Division I-AA. The Mountaineers moved to within a victory of their third straight national championship by ousting Richmond 55-35 on Friday night.
Jon Striefsky added two fourth-quarter field goals for Delaware, the first a 47-yarder that extended the Blue Hens’ lead to 17-10 with 10:09 left.
Southern Illinois’ Alan Turner returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown, tying the score at 17. But Flacco picked away at the Salukis (12-2) on the next possession, completing five passes for 67 yards in setting up Striefsky’s 24-yard field goal with 6:58 to play.
Southern Illinois’ ensuing drive stalled when Nick Hill was sacked on fourth-and-4 at the Delaware 36 with 3:56 left. Anthony Walters sealed Delaware’s victory by intercepting Hill at the Southern Illinois 45 with 1:42 to go.
John Randle had 129 yards rushing for the Salukis.
NCAA Division II
Valdosta St. 28, California University (Pa.) 24: At California, Pa., Maurice Leggett’s end zone interception with 56 seconds left preserved victory for the Blazers (12-1) over the previously unbeaten Vulcans (13-1) in a semifinal.
The No. 8 Blazers will play Northwest Missouri State for the national championship Saturday at Florence, Ala.
Northwest Missouri State 34, Grand Valley State 16: At Maryville, Mo., Xavier Omon ran for 292 yards and scored four touchdowns to help the Bearcats (12-1) beat the two-time defending national champion Lakers (12-1) in the semifinals.
Joel Osborn threw for 238 yards on 20-of-25 passing and Northwest Missouri State had 528 total yards to end Grand Valley State’s Division II record 40-game winning streak.
NCAA Division III
Mount Union 62, Bethel 14: At Alliance, Ohio, quarterback Greg Micheli was 16 for 19 passing for 258 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Raiders (13-0) to a win over the Royals (12-2) and a trip to the national championship game for the 11th time in 15 years.
The two-time defending champion Purple Raiders scored on their first seven possessions.
The Royals didn’t get their first score of the game until quarterback Dan Einerson found tight end Nick Otto from 7 yards out with 7:48 left to play.
Wisconsin-Whitewater 16, Mary Hardin-Baylor 7: At Whitewater, Wis., Danny Jones ran for one touchdown and passed for another to lead the Warhawks (13-1) to a victory over the Crusaders (12-2) and a third straight berth in the national championship game.
Jones scored on a 1-yard sneak to cap a 73-yard drive to open the scoring in the first quarter and added a 25-yard pass to Neil Mrkvicka in the second quarter to finish a 62-yard drive.
The Warhawks will play top-ranked Mount Union in the 35th annual Stagg Bowl on Saturday in Salem, Va.