Box Score San Antonio - With its 20-14 win over Centre
College on Saturday afternoon, the Trinity football team clinched a
share of the SCAC Championship, and a bid to the NCAA Playoffs for
the first time since 2007.
Trinity (9-0, 5-0 SCAC) fell behind by 14 points in the second
quarter, but scored 20 unanswered to pull out the win. The
Tigers came into the game ranked 13th in the latest AFCA Division
III poll, and 18th in D3football.com's national poll. Centre
was 25th in the D3football.com ranking.
After Centre scored on consecutive drives in the second quarter
- the last of which ended with under two minutes before halftime -
Trinity finally got on the board with an 80-yard scoring drive that
made it 14-7.
The Tigers punted on their first drive of the second half, but
then scored on back-to-back third quarter drives to go ahead 20-14
with just over 20 minutes left in the game (the extra point was
blocked).
Centre turned the ball over on downs three of its final four
possessions - including the last drive of the game. Trinity
punted into the end zone with 1:10 to play, leaving Centre 80 yards
from a potential tying score.
The second play of the drive was a 40-yard catch-and run to set
up the Colonels at Trinity's 40 with just under a minute
left. Centre got another first down at the Trinity 19 yard
line, before four straight incompletions ended the game.
Nykolas McKissic completed 11-21 passes for 121 yards and a
touchdown, while Mason Blaschke completed his only pass for a
23-yard touchdown. Blaschke took a lateral pass from
McKissic, then threw into the end zone to Riley Walker for the
game-tying score early in the third quarter.
Jonathan Osei-Kuffour had three catches for 59 yards and a
touchdown to lead the Trinity receivers. He caught a 15-yard
pass from McKissic just before halftime to put the Tigers on the
board. In the second half, Osei-Kuffour broke free for a
33-yard reception to set up Trinity's game-winning score from a
yard out.
Patrick Granchelli enjoyed another 100-yard rushing performance,
carrying 22 times for 101 yards and the game-winning
touchdown. It was the second straight 100-yard game for
Granchelli, and the fourth of the season.
Jonathan Pinque led Centre with 83 yards rushing, while Tyler
Osterman completed 15-30 for 122 yards through the air.
Kyle Trella punted eight times for 367 yards (45.9 yards/punt)
for the Tigers - including two punts over 60 yards. His first
long punt was a career-long 70-yard, followed later by a 65-yard
punt to pin Centre inside the 20.
Trinity will travel to Sherman, Texas, next weekend to take on
Austin College in the regular season finale. The NCAA
Playoffs will begin the following weekend (Nov. 19), against an
opponent to be determined.