CHADRON, Neb. (AP) -Chadron State rallied from a 29-point fourth-quarter deficit, and quarterback Joe McLain scored on a 12-yard run in the third overtime to beat Abilene Christian 76-73 on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
The 149 points were the most in Division II playoff history.
“No one here has ever played in a game like that,” McLain said. “I’m still trying to get it to soak in. It’s just crazy, that’s all.”
The teams traded touchdowns in the first two overtimes before Chadron’s defense came up with a stop to force Matt Adams’ 21-yard field goal.
Danny Woodhead rushed 13 yards on the first play of Chadron’s possession, then McLain went up the middle for the winning touchdown. He punctuated the run with a somersault into the end zone.
“Right when they sent out their field goal team we knew we had won it because our offense was playing so well moving up and down the field,” safety Paul Schweger said. “If we could stop them a little bit and hold them, our offense could score. Everybody believed.”
Chadron (12-0) advances to face Northwest Missouri State, which knocked it out of the playoffs last year.
Abilene Christian (10-3) and Chadron combined for 1,369 yards of offense in the 4-hour, 8-minute game.
Abilene Christian’s Bernard Scott ran for 303 yards and five touchdowns and caught four passes for 80 yards and a TD to upstage Chadron’s Woodhead, the all-division career rushing leader.
Woodhead had 188 yards and three touchdowns and caught five passes for 49 yards and a score.
Abilene Christian’s Billy Malone was 23-of-38 for 361 yards and five TDs, with Jerale Badon making 10 catches for 178 yards and a score.
McLain was 37-of-62 for 443 yards and six touchdowns and was intercepted three times. Brandon Harrington, Isaac Stockton and Joel Schommer each had at least 100 receiving yards.
Chadron, which trailed 49-20 in the fourth quarter, moved 92 yards in nine plays in the last two minutes of regulation to send the game to overtime. McLain and Schommer hooked up for a 17-yard TD with 17 seconds left to tie the score at 56-56.
“Our two-minute offense has been terrible all year,” Chadron coach Bill O’Boyle said. “We couldn’t move the ball 5 yards in practice.
“What’s special about this group of kids is that there is just no quit in them.”
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