| Oct 1st, 2005 | 1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
Records |
| Concordia St. Paul | 4-2, 1-1 NSIC | |||||
| Northern State | 3-3, 2-0 NSIC |
Aberdeen, S.D. – Legendary Coach Clark Swisher was one of 6,342 fans in attendance at the Gypsy Day’s to see a fantastic college football game as Northern State (3-3, 2-0 NSIC) blocked a 45 yard field goal with four seconds left to defeat Concordia St. Paul (4-2, 1-1 NSIC) 20-19.
Prior to the game the new Clark Swisher Field was dedicated to the Northern State all-time wins leader. The largest crowd in the past decade, if not ever, stood in ovation for Swisher, his wife Doris and their family prior to the kickoff. Swisher coached at NSU for 22 years and won 142 games. Those 142 games account for 29% of the 504 wins in the 101 year history of Northern State football.
The Wolves, who trailed the majority of the game, took advantage of a Golden Bear turnover on the CSP 21 yard line with 3:49 to go, down 14-19. John Russell hit GregAgho from 21 yards out to put the Wolves up 20-19 (Two Point Conversion Failed).
The Golden Bears were not done as they took the ensuing kickoff out of their own end zone and returned 65 yards to the NSU 35. The Wolves defense stepped up as they stopped the Golden Bears for losses of one and ten yards on the next two plays. An incomplete pass set up a fourth and 21. Concordia quarterback Steve McNear, as he did all day, scrambled his way out of trouble and hit Jason Simmons on the sideline near the first down marker. The referee spotted the ball inches short of the first down, giving the Wolves the ball back with 1:54 left.
After three rushes and 1:26 run off the clock the Wolves kicked the ball back to the Golden Bears. Eric Schwan, whose previous kick went 60 yards with the wind, kicked the ball out of bounds, but only after it traveled to the fifty yard line.
With no timeouts left the Golden Bears moved the ball to the Wolves 29 yard line with four seconds left. Going into a 25 mph wind the Golden Bears tried for the game winning field goal, but Chris McClellan blocked his second kick of the day (the other a punt) ending any hopes of a Golden Bear win.
Concordia St. Paul got on the board first as they went 66 yards on 15 plays, capped off by a two yard touchdown run with 3:57 left in the first to go up 7-0.
The Wolves would answer on their next possession as they went 63 yards on nine plays copped off by a two yard Chuck Driscoll run with 00:19 left in the first to knot the game at 7-7. Driscoll finished the game with 97 yards on 20 carries, including a 27 yard burst.
Midway through the second quarter the Golden Bears mounted an eight play 63 yard drive finished off with a seven yard McNear run to put the Golden Bears up 13-6 with 7:18 to go. Nate McGruder used his leaping ability to swat away the extra point attempt, which became a critical play later in the day.
The Wolves looked to answer back as they traveled 70 plus yards to get inside the Golden Bear ten with minutes to go in the half. But with a first and goal at the six yard line, the Wolves missed on all four of their attempts, including a fourth and goal to come away with no points and a 13-7 halftime deficit.
The Wolves got the ball to start the second half and marched 80 yards in seven plays as Russell hit Agho from 21 yards out to put the Wolves up 14-13.
The Wolves lead would be short lived as the Golden Bears answered on their next possession and a 77 yard McNear pass to M. Bridgefourth. McNear eluded Wolves defenders and looked to run, bring the defensive backs up, but threw at the last moment to a wide open Bridgefourth, who strolled in for the score.
The Wolves mounted what looked to be their final attack as they worked their way to the Golden Bear 44 with five minutes to go. But Russell was intercepted on a fade pattern down the sideline at the CSP 16. The Golden Bears needed only a pair of first down to run out most of the clock, but after a ten yard rush to make it first and ten on the 26, CSP running back A. Cawthorn was stripped of the ball by Stephon Betts. Austin Quinn hopped on the ball for the Wolves to set up the second Russell to Agho TD pass from 21 yards out.
The Wolves were out gained in almost all statistical categories, but made the plays when they needed to, including holding McNear to only 37 yards rushing and 214 yards passing. McNear was averaging 283.8 all purpose yards a game, which ranked him 13 th in the nation.
The Wolves travel to Wayne State (2-4, 2-0 NSIC) next weekend at 1:00 p.m
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Northern State University (located in Aberdeen, SD) is an NCAA Division II institution a
nd a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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