Kritik und Lob » against Stanford and Mississippi State

HOUSTON -- For the first time in 12 seasons, Mount Union will not appear in the Division III championship game.In its place, Mary Hardin-Baylor will play in its first Stagg Bowl since 2004 -- the season before Mount Unions 11-year streak began.Mary Hardin-Baylor converted a first down on fake punt with 45 seconds left and the Crusaders upset defending champion Mount Union 14-12 on Saturday in the Division III semifinals.The Crusaders last title game ended in a 28-21 defeat to Linfield. That was the last D-III title game not involving Mount Union, UW-Whitewater or St. Thomas.Mary Hardin-Baylor (14-0) will play Wisconsin-Oshkosh, which beat John Carroll 10-3, on Friday night.Two of the highest scoring teams in Division III were locked in a defensive battle on Saturday.Mount Union (12-2) started its final possession with 2:32 left at its 45. But defensive end Ajay Fanene read a screen pass and dropped back in coverage to intercept freshman quarterback Dom Davis pass with 1:44 left. It was his first interception of the season.Mary Hardin-Baylor was forced to punt after three plays but Trinton Ynclan caught a dart from the Baylor Mullins in a punt formation to seal it.It was Mount Unions first true road loss since 1994, which is also the last time the Raiders lost two games in a season. The 114-game streak went back to the 1994 NCAA Playoffs in a 34-33 loss at Albion (Mich.).Mary Hardin-Baylor quarterback Blake Jackson scored on a 1-yard sneak up the middle with 1:53 left in the third quarter for a 14-6 lead. His 11-yard scramble two plays earlier on a third-and-6 set up the touchdown. Duane Thompson also made two big plays on the drive. He had an over-the-shoulder catch for 25 yards and rushed for a 15-yard gain on the next play.Keith Reineke made an easy interception with 10:43 left in the fourth quarter for Mary Hardin-Baylor but the Crusaders drive stalled after three plays. Mount Union made them pay with a 14-play, 66 yard scoring drive to pull to 14-12 with 4:20 left on Davis play-action keeper. The Raiders two-point conversion attempt failed after Davis pressured pass fell incomplete short of the end zone.In the first half, Alex Louthan kicked a 30-yard field goal to open the scoring for Mount Union with 8:08 left. But Mary Hardin-Baylor answered on its next possession. Jackson scrambled to escape pressure and was hit hard just after a throw for a 33-yard touchdown. T.J. Josey leapt in the end zone to get a hand on it and Wykeyhe Walker secured it for a 7-3 lead.Louthan made his second field goal with two seconds left before halftime to pull to Mount Union to 7-6.Mary Hardin-Baylor won its 12th straight American Southwest Conference title to earn the one tournament bid reserved for independents or teams in a non-automatic qualifying conference. Mount Union earned one of the six at-large bids to the playoffs and is the only team in D-III history to win three straight road games to reach the semis. Derrick Favors Jersey . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Rich Kelley Jersey . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. https://www.cheapjazzonline.com/ .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Jose Ortiz Jersey . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend. Pete Maravich Jersey . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State stars Victoria Vivians and Morgan William were at their best during the 10th-ranked Bulldogs 79-68 victory over No. 8 Texas on Sunday.That wasnt a surprise. Its what the Bulldogs did without those two on the floor that turned some heads.William scored 23 points and Vivians added 19, but it was a second-quarter run largely led by the teams reserves that helped put the Longhorns away.Our kids, that second quarter, really answered the bell and got after it, Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said. We got some real critical stops and then we really were attacking the rim.Mississippi State (4-0) pulled away in the second quarter thanks to some valuable minutes from the bench -- especially backup guards Roshunda Johnson and Jazzmun Holmes -- and a suffocating defense that held the Longhorns without a field goal for the final 9:40 of the half.The Bulldogs had a 26-9 advantage in the second quarter to turn a tie game into a 42-25 halftime lead. Johnson had seven points and Holmes added three during the run while Vivians and William were their biggest cheerleaders on the sideline.Everybodys stepped their game up, Vivians said. Everybody can go to the basket. Everyone can score.Texas (1-2) had 15 turnovers in the first half and 24 in the game.We got a little frantic in some situations, Texas coach Karen Aston said.Brooke McCarty led Texas with 19 points, and Ariel Atkins added 18. Texas lost despite shooting a respectable 27 of 56 from the field (48.2 percent) and outrebounded the Bulldogs 36-26.The Longhorns pulled within 48-40 in the third quarter, but couldnt get any closer.There were a whole lot of positives, Aston said. Even the turnovers, most of them were in the first half. We pulled within in eight points, but then we forced some things. Young kids trying to make something happen every possession.William shhot 5 of 11 from the field and 13 of 14 from the free-throw line while also adding six rebounds and three steals.ddddddddddddDominique Dillingham added 10 points for the Bulldogs.INSTANT OFFENSEMississippi State played 10 players on Sunday, including nine who were on the roster last season. The only new player was Johnson, a 5-foot-7 junior guard who transferred from Oklahoma State and sat out last season.Shes been excellent so far this season, averaging nearly 12 points per game as a consistent scoring option with the second team off the bench.BIG PICTURETexas: Its been a tough start to the season for Texas, which has now lost two of its first three games. Both of those losses -- against Stanford and Mississippi State -- came against good teams, but they provide ample evidence that the Longhorns have some work to do to be among the nations elite.Mississippi State: The Bulldogs lost to Texas in Austin last season, but won against the Longhorns with relative ease on their home court. Vivians -- who is inarguably the teams best scorer -- had a solid game, but it was the consistent production from others like William, Dillingham, Chinwe Okorie and the bench that was most important for Mississippi State.LIMPING SCHAEFERSchaefer was noticeably limping during the second half of the game, and the coach said he believed it was his due to a case of gout in his feet. Vivians and William had to nearly carry Schaefer into the postgame press conference.UP NEXTTexas: The Longhorns return home to face Northwestern State on Wednesday.Mississippi State: The Bulldogs face Oregon on Friday in the opening round of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Tournament in Honolulu on Friday.----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP ' ' '