Pittsburg State clinches berth in title game

PITTSBURG, Kan. - Neal Philpot passed for three touchdowns as Pittsburg State beat North Dakota 31-19 on Saturday in the NCAA Division II semifinals.

Pittsburg State (14-0) returns to the Division II title game for the first time since 1995.

"This is what I came here to do," Philpot said. "It's very, very sweet to have a chance to go down there and bring (a national title) back. It's something special."

The Gorillas last won the Division II title in 1991.

It was the fifth meeting between the two schools, with the home team winning each time. North Dakota won last year's playoff meeting 24-14, taking advantage of seven Gorilla turnovers.

Pittsburg State had no turnovers Saturday, but head coach Chuck Broyles said the Gorillas squandered opportunities with seven penalties.

"You can't do that against a good defensive football team," he said.

North Dakota's defense was giving up an average of only 10.8 points and 256 yards a game.

Germaine Race, who led all rushers with 158 yards, gave Pittsburg State a 14-10 lead on a 3-yard scoring run with 6:38 left in the first half to cap a 65-yard drive.

North Dakota (11-3) took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 12-yard run by Adam Roland. It was only the third time all season that the Gorillas had trailed. Roland finished with 71 yards and two TDs.

Pittsburg State came right back with Philpot connecting with wide receiver Jermaine Carpenter on an 8-yard pass to tie the score. Philpot passed for 99 yards and rushed for 122 yards, including several key third-down conversions to keep drives alive.

North Dakota took the second-half kickoff from its own 20 and drove to the Pittsburg State 5 before the drive stalled. The Sioux settled for a 32-yard field goal from Jeff Glas, his second of the game, to cut the lead to 14-13.

The Gorilla offense then took over, controlling the line scrimmage and moving 80 yards in nine plays. Philpot hit Carpenter for a 19-yard TD pass and a 21-13 lead.

The score came after North Dakota opted to punt on fourth and 1 from the Pittsburg State 41. The Sioux had been moving the ball, including a 17-yard run by Roland, but a holding penalty and 3-yard loss on a short pass caused the drive to stall.

Head coach Dale Lennon said he decided to punt to force the Gorillas to go the length of the field.

"We wanted to slow the tempo down, but if they get anything they would have to earn it."

Chris Belmore led North Dakota with 264 yards passing and Caleb Johnson had 10 catches for 129 yards. Belmore was sacked three times and fumbled once as he tried to escape the Gorilla pass rush.

Pittsburg State, which came into the game averaging 59 points and 629 yards a game, finished with 422 yards in total offense.

"They steamrolled us in the fourth quarter," Sioux linebacker Tony Hermes said. "The diversity of their offense is the toughest thing."

Pittsburg State will play Valdosta State (12-1) in the championship game Dec. 11 in Florence, Ala. Valdosta State beat West Chester 45-21 in the other semifinal.