Led by 136 yards rushing from senior Ryan Lowmiller (Crystal Lake, Ill.), the No. 1 University of Sioux Falls football team clobbered the No. 14 Minot State University 63-21 in the first round of the NAIA playoffs Saturday afternoon in Sioux Falls. It is the ninth straight year USF has made the playoffs, while MSU is made their first appearance since 2003.

USF (12-0) has now won 26 consecutive games, while the Beavers (8-3) saw their season come to a close.

Lowmiller was named the offensive player of the game with senior quarterback Lorenzo Brown (Bristol, Conn.) recording four touchdowns (two rushing) and 107 total yards. Brown hit fellow senior tight end Scott LeBrun (Dell Rapids, S.D.) three times for 41 yards and two touchdowns. Junior linebacker Dominic Studzinski (Fort Atkinson, Wisc.) was named defensive player of the game with 7.5 tackles, three and half for a loss, one sack and one forced fumble. Senior safety Trevor Holleman (New Holland, S.D.) recorded six tackles (one for loss), forced one fumble and had one pass breakup.

Special teams put the Cougars on the board only 1:59 into the game as the Beaver punter muffed the punt, then rolled out to find harassment by senior safety Holleman who forced a missed punt attempt. Junior safety Dan Schmeichel (Odessa, Minn.) picked up the ball and ran 10 yards, untouched, for the touchdown, giving USF a 7-0 lead.

Following an eight yard punt by MSU, Brown found running room on the left and then cut back to the right to easily g o in from 16 yards away, making the score 14-0 only 5:10 into the contest.

After the Beavers failed on a fourth and six attempt from their own 24 yard line, it only took the Cougars one play to answer as Brown found LeBrun streaking down the left sideline for a 28 yard touchdown, which upped the Cougar advantage to 21-0.

On the Beavers’ next possession, Studzinski forced a Nico Youngren fumble that was recovered by junior defensive lineman Brandon Koolstra (Sioux City, Iowa). Two plays later, Lowmiller found the end zone for the first of his two scores on the day to make the score 28-0.

USF capped off the first quarter scoring with their second special teams touchdown of the day, as Adam Lopez (Gillette, Wyo.) blocked a Beaver punt and returned it 35 yards for the touchdown, making the score 35-0 after only one quarter.

MSU had a steady drive in the second quarter and put their first points on the board in the second quarter as Youngren found the end zone from one yard away; this made the score 35-7.

Next Brown led the Cougars on an efficient drive that was capped off with his second touchdown strike to LeBrun, this time from seven yards out, making the score 42-7.

Lowmiller found the end zone again on the Cougars’ next possession, which lasted only one play and 45 yards; it would go to halftime with USF leading 49-7.

In the second half backups made their way into the game and sophomore running back Kristian Porter (Hawarden, Iowa) found the end zone from 11 yards away that made the score 56-7 with 12:08 remaining.

Porter found the end zone again in the third quarter, as he took a counter pitch from the right and cut back left to find pay dirt from 24 yards, giving the Cougars a 63-7 advantage.

Minot State scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, as Jon Meier found Bryan Boychuk from nine yards out and Johnny Lester took a punt back 86 yards for the score, making the final score 63-21. 

USF will host No. 7 Morningside College (10-1, 9-1 GPAC) in the quarterfinal round of the NAIA Championship Series, held next Saturday (November 28) at 1:00 p.m. at Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls. Both teams are members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

Each team is coming off impressive victories in the first round of the NAIA playoffs today. USF throttled No. 14 Minot State (8-3) 63-21 in Sioux Falls and Morningside took down No. 11 Missouri Valley (8-3) 24-6 in Sioux City.

On November 14, the Cougars defeated then-No.4 Morningside 49-21 in Sioux City, Iowa to clinch their fourth consecutive GPAC title.

The game will pit two of the top offenses and defenses in the NAIA. Both teams average over 45 points on offense, while the Cougars only give up 8 points a game to Morningside’s 14.

The other three matchups in the NAIA’s quarterfinal round are No. 2 Carroll will host No. 8 MidAmerica Nazarene University, No. 3 Lindenwood will host No. 5 Ottawa and No. 4 Saint Xavier will host No. 6 Lambuth University.

Courtesy: USF Sports Information.