(December 13, 2008)--The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team could not overcome kicking game mistakes at the start of both halves and Wisconsin-Whitewater dominated the second half as the Warhawks rolled to a 39-13 victory over the Cru in an NCAA Division III National Semifinal game Saturday afternoon in Belton. The loss ends UMHB’s season at 12-2 overall and the Cru lost to the Warhawks in the Semifinals for the second straight season. UWW improves to 13-1 overall and the defending national champions will advance to next weekend’s Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl for the fourth straight year.

UMHB started the game with the ball on its own two-yard line after returning the opening kickoff out of its own end zone. The Cru’s Bryson Tucker fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and UMHB recovered its own end zone for a safety to give the Warhawks a 2-0 lead. UWW took the ensuing free kick and went 55 yards in seven plays before Jeff Schebler hit a 25-yard field goal to make it a 5-0 Warhawk lead with 11:39 left in the opening quarter. UMHB answered with a 71-yard drive, capped by Josh Saenz’s one-yard scoring plunge as the Cru took a 7-5 lead with 12:17 remaining in the second quarter. Alan Munoz hit a 38-yard field goal to give UMHB a 10-5 edge with 4:11 left in the first half. UWW then drove 80-yards in 11 plays before Jeff Donovan hit Nick Slupski with a three-yard TD pass with just 26 seconds left in the half and the Warhawks took a 12-10 lead into the locker room at the half.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, the Cru kicked off into the wind. The ball blew backwards in midair and landed somewhere around the UMHB 39-yard line. The ball then bounced backwards to the Cru 24-yard line where UMHB kicker Alan Munoz fell on it. UWW was awarded the ball on the illegal touching call and Donovan threw a 24-yard TD pass to Danny Benson on the next play to make it an 18-10 game and the Warhawks never looked back. Donovan found Slupski with an eight-yard TD pass to stretch the lead to 25-10 and Levell Coppage scored on a one-yard run to make it 32-10 after the first play of the fourth quarter. Munoz hit a 44-yard field goal to cut the lead to 32-13 with 9:04 remaining, but Antwan Anderson iced the game with a 38-yard touchdown run with 4:00 left to make it 39-13 and provide the final margin.

UWW finished with 395 yards of total offense in the game, with 220 of those coming through the air. UMHB was held to just 236 yards of offense, with 125 of those coming on the ground. The Cru lost a fumble for the game’s only turnover.

Matt Hurst led the UMHB rushing attack with 74 yards on 20 carries after taking over when Tucker left with an injury after the Cru’s second offensive play of the game. Saenz added 46 yards and a TD on the ground and he was 9-17 passing for 67 yards. Pi’Dadro Davis and Brian Scott caught three passes apiece for UMHB. Donovan finished 16-25 passing for 220 yards and three touchdowns for the Warhawks. Anderson ran for 106 yards on 19 carries and Aaron Rusch caught a team-high four passes for 59 yards for UWW. LB Kyle Supianoski led the Warhawk defense with 16 tackles and Jeremy Salinas had 14 tackles for UMHB.

The Cru was playing in its second straight National Semifinal game and its third overall. UMHB is one of just two programs in the nation to advance to at least the second round of the postseason in each of the last five years. The Warhawks will now face Mount Union for the National Championship next Saturday in Salem, Virginia. Mount Union advanced to the national title game with a 45-24 victory over Wheaton College.

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