The Wesley College football team allowed the top-ranked Mount Union Purple Raiders 21 points to open the game. The early gap ended up as the difference as the Purple Raiders earned a 56-35 victory over the Wolverines on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
Joe Callahan threw for 379 yards, extending his NCAA single-season benchmark to 5,063 becoming the first NCAA Division III quarterback to ever throw for 5,000 or more yards in a season. He also threw for four touchdowns on 34-of-53 passing. Jamar Baynard rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 34 yards and a score as well. James Okike led the Wesley receiving corps with nine catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns while Kyle George also reeled in a touchdown grab.
On defense, Craig Pettit and DaJahn Lowery each finished with a team-leading nine tackles. Dan Laguerre and Isaiah Ingram each pulled down a sack while Leroy Cheatham finished with five tackles and an interception, the Wolverines only forced turnover.
Wesley began the game by allowing the Purple Raiders to score 21 points before the Navy and White generated any offense. In the first quarter the Wolverines were outgained 255-70, but by the end of the quarter were driving. On the second play of the second quarter, Baynard punched in a run from five yards out to cut the deficit to 21-7.
On Mount Union's next offensive drive the Wolverine defense forced a three-and-out, giving Callahan and the Wesley offense the ball back again. 10 plays later, the Wesley quarterback connected with Kyle George on a six-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead even further, pulling the Navy and White within one possession.
Mount Union responded to the Wesley offensive outburst in a big way, ripping off 28 unanswered point to finished the second quarter and take a 49-14 lead into the halftime break.
During halftime, coach Mike Drass and the defense must have had a long talk, because in the second half the Wolverines looked completely different on that side of the ball. The same defense that allowed the Purple Raiders nearly 500 yards of offense in the first half shut down the Mount Union for much of the second half, holding the Purple Raiders scoreless for 26:00 and allowing Callahan and the offense to get back into the game.
The Wolverines ripped off 21 consecutive points with Callahan leading the team to the end zone on drives of 78, 63, and 25 yards for scores. James Okike caught two of those touchdowns, including a 58-yard strike, Wesley's 14th passing touchdown of 50 yards or more on the season.
With the score sitting at 49-35 in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines were mounting another promising drive. With just over five minutes remaining in the game, the Wolverines were faced with 4th-and-6 from the Mount Union 13-yard line, but failed to convert and turned the ball over on downs.
Four plays later, Purple Raiders running back Logan Nemeth ran a draw up the middle for 73 yards, taking Wesley's Stagg Bowl dreams with him as he crossed the goal line for a score. The touchdown made it 56-35 and drained the momentum for the Wesley sideline. The score held as final as the Wolverines final drive resulted in another turnover on downs.
The Wolverines finish their season with a record of 11-2, their seventh consecutive season with 10 wins or more. The squad graduates a senior class that won 43 games, earned four NCAA Tournament berths, reacted four NCAA Quarterfinals and earned an NCAA East Regional Championship and an NCAA Semifinal berth in 2014.