No. 1 Sioux Falls Survives Semifinal With 11-10 Win Over No. 9 Missouri Valley :: Defending national champion Cougars drive 99 yards in the final minutes for the win

Defending national champion Cougars drive 99 yards in the final minutes for the win

Dec. 2, 2007

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- (box score) No. 1 Sioux Falls (S.D.) drove 99 yards in 16 plays for the go-ahead score with :43 seconds remaining and defeated No. 9 Missouri Valley 11-10 this afternoon (Dec. 2) in a NAIA Football Championship Series Semifinal from Bob Young Field. The contest was pushed back today due to wintry weather conditions on Saturday.

The defending national champions, Sioux Falls (13-0) advances to its fourth overall Championship, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 15 from Savannah, Tenn. The Cougars, who have won 27 in-a-row, will take on No. 2 Carroll (14-0). The Fighting Saints defeated No. 5 St. Francis (Ind.) 23-7 yesterday (Saturday). This is the first meeting between these two teams in the Championship final.

The winning drive started with just over three minutes left. On the winning score, USF quarterback Chad Cavender found Josiah Fenderoy on a six-yard pass play on second and goal. That play came after a 14-yard scramble by Cavender on 4th-and 12 which set up the game-winner. The two-point conversion for USF was unsuccessful.

Missouri Valley started its final drive on its own 49-yard line. The Vikings made it to the USF 35-yard line before MVC kicker Joe Park lined up for a 52-yard field goal with :5 second left. His kick fell short and the Cougars are going back to Savannah for the second straight season.

Missouri Valley got on the board first after quarterback Chris White leaped in from three-yards out near the end of the first quarter. After a successful PAT, the visiting Vikings led 7-0.

With just over 12 minutes left in the second quarter, MVC punter Andrew Semer had the snap sail over his head and was tackled in the end zone for a safety. Trailing 7-2, Sioux Falls kicker Matt Lindgren nailed a 23-yarder at the 9:01 mark of the second quarter to bring the Cougars to within two at 7-5 heading into halftime.

Missouri Valley inched out to a 10-5 advantage courtesy of a Park field goal to start the fourth quarter. The MVC defense held Sioux Falls to zero first downs in the second half before the winning drive.

Cavender, voted as the game's offensive player of the game, finished with 178 passing yards on 18-of-33 attempts. He accounted for all 99 yards on the game-winning drive throwing for 78 yards and rushing for the other 21.

Missouri Valley fell to 10-3 after appearing in its second straight Semifinal round game. The game was reminiscent of the 2006 Semifinals. Last season, Sioux Falls came from behind to give Missouri Valley its only loss of the year, 25-18. Down by one in the fourth quarter, Cavender threw a touchdown pass to Fenceroy with just over six minutes remaining.