Hamilton, NY — Junior quarterback Chris Brown connected on 18-of-31 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Jamaal Branch rushed for 56 yards and two touchdowns to lead ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ (14-0) to a come-from-behind 28-27 win over Western Illinois (9-4) in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs at Andy Kerr Stadium.
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¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ advances to the semifinal round of the playoffs at the home site of the winner of the Northern Arizona-Florida Atlantic game.
The Raiders are only the second team in the history of ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ athletics to advance to the semifinals of a NCAA Tournament. The 1990 ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ men’s hockey team reached the championship before losing against Wisconsin.
¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ took a 7-0 with 6:21 remaining in the first quarter, when wide receiver J.B. Gerald caught a 7-yard pass from Brown in the back of the end zone. Lane Schwarzberg added the extra point.
Western Illinois got on the board on the next possession when Justin Langan booted a 34-yard field goal.
In the second quarter, the Leathersnecks drove 81 yards in 10 plays to go ahead 10-7 on Randall Moore’s nine-yard reception from quarterback Russ Michna. Langan kicked the conversion.
The Raiders would come back to a take 14-10 halftime advantage when Branch scored the first of his two TD’s on a one-yard plunge. The drive was set up by DeWayne Long’s 50-yard kickoff return to the WIU 32.
The only points of the third quarter came on Langan’s 28-yard field goal cutting ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s lead to 14-13.
¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ extended its lead to eight points on Ben Evans’ one-yard touchdown reception with 13:19 left in the game.
Western Illinois would storm back to take a 27-21 lead with 7:04 remaining on Travis Glasford’s six-yard run and Michna’s one-yard quarterback sneak.
¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ was stopped on its next possession, but the Raider defense got the ball back for the offense with 3:09 remaining. Gerald returned a WIU punt 28 yards to the Leathernecks’ 25-yard line.
On the first play, Brown found Luke Graham on a 24-yard pass play to the one-yard line. Two rushes by Branch were stopped, but on third down the Walter Payton Trophy candidate carried in for the game-winning TD with 1:50 left on the clock.
WIU had one last attempt to win the game but on third-and-three at ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s 49-yard line, Ryan Miller intercepted Michna to sent ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ to the semifinals. ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ is the first Patriot League team to reach the semifinal round of the I-AA playoffs.