SAVANNAH, TN – The University of Sioux Falls football team showed the entire country why they are one of the greatest small college football teams of all-time, by routing the Washington Vikings 47-25 in the NAIA Division Two National Championship Game at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee.

The Cougars didn’t receive a first place vote throughout the entire season, even though they went undefeated, averaged 45 points per game and outscored their opponents by an average of 29 points per game. It wasn’t first place votes that the Cougars were looking for; it was the national championship trophy.

Western Washington opened the scoring on a 3-yard run by running back Ryan Wiggins. The PAT was no good, and WWU lead 6-0. The Cougars would answer the Vikings’ touchdown on their very next possession, when David Ruter scored on a 9-yard run to give the Cougars a 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter would belong to the Cougars, as Kurtiss Riggs threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Nelson, and consecutive scoring passes of 20 and 64 yards to David Ruter. The Vikings managed a touchdown at the end of the quarter, but the Cougars lead 27-13 at the half.

USF wasted no time in putting Western Washington away in the second half. Riggs got Kalen DeBoer involved in the act on a 5-yard scoring strike with 11:30 remaining in the third quarter. DeBoer would find the end zone again, less than two minutes later, on a 54-yard reverse to give USF a commanding 41-13 lead. Viking quarterback Darren Erath tried to keep Western Washington in the game on a 1-yard touchdown run to open the fourth quarter, but DeBoer would slam the door on any Viking title hopes with an unbelievable one-handed touchdown reception from 19 yards out. Western Washington added a late score on a 39-yard touchdown from Erath to Mario Casello, but it was too late, as the Cougars won their first National Championship ever.

USF finishes the season as the second highest scoring NAIA Division Two team of all-time and the ninth highest scoring National Champion in any division of all-time with 636points.

USF quarterback Kurtiss Riggs was named Offensive Player of the Game with 431 yards on 25 of 33 passing and five touchdowns. Riggs closed out his senior season by breaking Ed Koester’s mark for career passing yards at USF. Riggs ended his career with 496 completions on 801 attempts for 7329 yards and 85 touchdowns.

David Ruter finished the game with 55 yards rushing and 98 yards receiving. He also had one touchdown rushing and two receiving. Ruter broke Terry Austin’s school record for rushing touchdowns, by scoring his 19th of the season. Ruter ended his sophomore season with 1726 yards rushing and 25 total touchdowns.

Kalen DeBoer had ten receptions for 131 yards and two scores, not to mention his 54-yard reverse for a touchdown. He finishes his year with 99 catches for 1372 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Jeremy Gardner led the Cougars in receiving yards against Western Washington with 133 on six receptions. Gardner had 953 yards on 50 receptions and 16 touchdowns to close out his senior season.

The numbers do not indicate how well USF defensive played. The Cougars held WWU to 62 rushing yards, and even though the Viking quarterback Darren Erath threw for 350 yards, most of those came in the second half when the game was already out of reach. The Cougar defense registered five sacks, intercepted two passes and had one fumble recovery in the win. Travis Dumke was named Defensive Player of the Game, totaling six tackles, two of which were for losses. Damon Olson led the Cougars in tackles with eight, while Brian Koch led USF in sacks with two.

The 1996 NAIA Division Two National Champion University of Sioux Falls Cougars finished the season with a school record of 14 wins and no losses.

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