In the second round of the NCAA playoffs, Third-ranked
Linfield took advantage of seven turnovers to beat #14 North Central (IL) 30-14
on a cool afternoon at Maxwell Field.
While Linfield’s defense stole the show on Saturday, the Linfield
offense quietly asserted themselves in the second and third quarters against one
of the best defenses in the nation. The
win improved Linfield to 11-0 on the season, and the loss dropped North Central
(IL) to 9-3 on the season.
On to my awards…
It was over when: Following the Cardinal’s fourth turnover of
the game, Mickey Inns scrambled away from the pass rush and connected with
Lucas Jepson for a 64 yard touchdown pass down the sidelines to make the score
24-0 with 8:18 to go in the third quarter.
After that play, North Central (IL)’s chances of winning were gone.
Gameball goes to: Mickey Inns.
Against one of the best defenses in the nation, Inns went 24-39 for 305
yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
In a game where Linfield had absolutely nowhere to go in the running
game, the Wildcats were forced to throw to respond through the air, and Inns
was up for the challenge.
Stat of the game: Seven turnovers. Coming into the game with arguably the most
balanced offense in the nation, the Cardinals turned the ball over seven times
against the Wildcat defense. While
running back Nick Kukuc had 25 carries for 192 yards and two touchdowns,
all-conference quarterback Spencer Stanek went 19-39 for 235 yards with no
touchdowns and five interceptions. Even
though they had what Linfield coach Joseph Smith called the best offense Linfield has faced all season, the Cardinals couldn’t afford to have that many
turnovers against the Wildcats, and they paid the price.
Unsung hero: Lucas Jepson.
After being their top threat in 2011, Lucas Jepson found
himself relegated to the third option on the offense for most of 2012. On Saturday, Jepson came up huge, catching
eight passes for 132 yards and one touchdown.
What it means: For Linfield, the win allows them to play one
more game than in 2011, and puts them in the round of 8, which is elite
company. After watching the way the
Cardinals blew away #8 Cal Lutheran last week, it was more than impressive to
watch Linfield take them down in such dominant fashion. For North Central (IL), the loss was a
complete letdown in wake of their dominant showing in the first round, but they
had a special season nonetheless.
Link to boxscore: http://www.d3football.com/seasons/2012/boxscores/20121124_sj4g.xml
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