Wesleyan ends gridiron season in NCAA Second Round

Belton, TX - The football team of North Carolina Wesleyan College saw its 2007 season come to an end on Saturday afternoon in Belton, TX as the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor ousted the Blue & Gold from NCAA Division III Championship play with a 64-0 victory. Fourth-ranked UMHB improves to 11-1 on the season and advances to the Third Round for the third time in the last four seasons. NCWC finishes with a 9-3 mark after advancing to the postseason for the first time the program's four-year history.

The Cru grabbed a 2-0 lead when a bad punt snap went out of the NCWC endzone with 12:21 to go in the first quarter. UMHB stretched it to 8-0 when Quincy Daniels went 16 yards for a touchdown at the 7:22 mark of the first period. Josh Welch then capped a 13-play, 84-yard drive with a 27-yard TD pass to Cole Smith with 12 seconds left in the first quarter to put UMHB up 15-0.

In the second quarter, Joel Munoz added a pair of field goals, Chris Owen went 16-yards for a score, and Welch hit James Robinson with a seven-yard TD pass to make it 35-0 Cru at halftime.

It was all Crusaders in the second half as the Bishops never crossed midfield.  Cold and rainy conditions combined with the UMHB defensive effort to knock the Blue & Gold offense out of rhythm.

Daniels ran for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Owen came off the bench to add 117 yards, and he tied a UMHB single-game record with four rushing touchdowns.  As a team, UMHB rolled up 520 yards of total offense with 458 of those coming on the ground. The Cru controlled the ball for 32:42 of the game to help overcome a pair of turnovers.

Linebackers Jerrell Freeman and Eric Henri posted eight tackles apiece to lead the Cru's defensive effort.  UMHB held NCWC to just 46 yards of total offense on the day and forced five turnovers.  Junior Bryan Haywood ran for a team-high 36 yards on nine carries, while senior defensive back Jezreel Davis posted a game-high 14 tackles.  Senior linebacker Justin Augustin added 12 stops.

UMHB will now advance to face Wesley College in the Third Round of the NCAA Division III National Championships in Dover, Delaware next Saturday.

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