For the second time in three weeks the No. 1 University of Sioux Falls football team (13-0 overall) knocked off Great Plains Athletic Conference rival and No. 7 Morningside College (10-2) in the NAIA Football Championship Series quarterfinal round Saturday afternoon in Sioux Falls. The Cougars defeated the Mustangs by the same score, 49-21, in their first meeting on November 14.

Senior defensive back Trevor Holleman (New Holland, S.D.) earned defensive player of the game recognition with 7.5 total tackles, one tackle for a loss and one interception. A dominating performance by the USF offensive line earned the entire unit the offensive players of the game and also allowed the Cougars to gain 292 rushing yards, including 146 yards by senior Ryan Lowmiller (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and 132 by sophomore Kristian Porter (Hawarden, Iowa).

Morningside came out fast on their opening drive, taking the ball right down the field. Mustang quarterback Tim Richard's 26 yard touchdown pass to Bradley Norwood capped the drive, giving Morningside a 7-0 lead only 4:55 into the game.

USF answered as quarterback Lorenzo Brown (Bristol, Conn.) found senior tight end Scott LeBrun (Dell Rapids, S.D.) down the middle for an 18 yard touchdown, tying the game. On the play it appeared as though Brown would be sacked, but the senior squirmed out of the tackle and found LeBrun open right in the middle of the field.

Late in the first quarter, a 28 yard field goal by freshman kicker Braden Wieking (Sioux Falls, S.D.) gave the Cougars a 10-7 advantage. Early in the second quarter the Cougars added to their lead as Brown found a seam and took it in from five yards out, making the score 17-7.

The USF defense forced a Mustang's punt and but pinned the Cougars on their own nine yard line. On the first play of the drive Lowmiller found a hole right up the middle, made a safety miss and outsprinted the defenders 91 yards for a touchdown to increase the advantage to 24-7.

Richard brought the Mustangs within 24-14 with 7:42 to play as he found Joel Nixon down the left side of the field for a 62 yard touchdown. With only 30 seconds until halftime the Cougars upped the lead to 31-14 as Brown found junior Alex Anderson (Sioux Falls, S.D.) from four yards on a slant pattern. Early in the third quarter, the Mustangs got a break as they recovered a fumble and cashed the opportunity in as Richard threw his third touchdown of the day, a six yard pass to tight end Chad Buchholz, cutting the deficit to 31-21.

Wieking added his second field goal of the afternoon, this one from 27 yards out, increase the Cougar's lead to 34-21 with 7:02 to play in the third quarter. USF received a great chance to put the game away when Senior Nate Everett (Cheyenne, Wyo.) intercepted a 3rd and 10 Mustang pass and returned it to the Mustang 10 yard line. On the following play Lowmiller tallied his second rushing touchdown of the day, this one from two yards out. Brown's two point conversion to Anderson made the score a 42-21 USF lead. Porter finished off the scoring as he ran off right tackle and scored from 51 yards out, making the final score 49-21.

Brown had another efficient afternoon as he threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 35 rushing yards and one touchdown. Anderson caught 10 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown.

It was a terrific defensive effort for USF as they held the Mustangs rushing attack to only 95 yards on 22 carries. In addition they forced four turnovers as junior safety Dan Schmeichel (Odessa, Minn.) recorded six tackles and half a sack while senior Andrew Schoenfelder (Sioux Falls, S.D.) recorded an interception.

Next up for the Cougars are the semi-finals of the NAIA Football Championship Series, against No. 4 Saint Xavier Cougars (13-0) at the USF Sanford Complex at 1:00 pm.