Western falls to UT Permian Basin in playoff game

Held scoreless by the Mountaineer defense for three quarters Saturday afternoon, visiting and 10th-ranked UT Permian Basin stormed back in the fourth quarter and overtime to score 21 unanswered points in a 21-15 victory over 15th-ranked Western Colorado in the second round of the NCAA Division II Football Championships.

Western finished the season with a 10-3 record. UTPB improved to 11-2.

The turning point in the game was at Western's first two possessions of the fourth quarter. Leading 12-0, Easton Peterson intercepted a Kanon Gibson pass at Western's 9 yard line and returned it 76 yards to the UTPB 15. Gibson had been hit by Kaden Stewart as he threw and Peterson pulled down the fluttering ball then raced down the right sideline until he was pushed out of bounds.

On the Mountaineers next play, Gabe Schubarth scooted around the right end for a touchdown, only to have the play called back for offensive holding. Western would regain some of the lost penalty yardage but had to settle for an Adam Tasei field goal instead of the touchdown.

The Falcons took the kickoff and went in hurry-up mode, driving 75 yards in 13 plays in not quite five minutes, scoring a touchdown then converting a 2-point conversion to narrow the gap to 15-8.

UTPB kicked off to a fair catch, giving Western the ball at its 25 yard line, but on the first play the Falcons forced a fumble and recovered it at the Mountaineer 29. Three plays later, with the extra point, the game was suddenly tied at 15-15.

Western drove to the UTPB 46 on the ensuing possession, but was unable to convert a 3rd and 10, Zac Grable's punt pinning the Falcons back at their own 7, but with 4:23 still to play.

Gibson drove the Falcons to the Western 12 yard line where kicker Angel Diaz lined up for a potential game-winning kick, but the field goal attempt was blocked – for the second time in the game by Zach Brumfield – sending the teams into overtime.

Western won the toss to start the extra period and selected to start on defense. However, the Falcons took just two plays to score, on a Gibson to Jaylon Tillman 21-yard scoring strike, with Brumfield swatting his third kick of the game.

Consecutive penalties on third down on Western's possession set up 3rd and 15, an incomplete pass, and 4th & 15, with Nash's pass to tight end Kai Goetze broken up at the UTPB 5 by cornerback Caimon Mathis to end the game.

Notes

• Both teams had rough starts. Nash's 3rd and 14 pass on Western's opening drive was intercepted, but the Mountaineer defense held on a Falcon 4th and 3 to get the ball back.
• Western had to punt on its following possession, and Grable's punt was downed at the UTPB 2, setting the Falcons back into the shadow of their own goalposts. Gibson handed off to Kory Harris on second down but Harris was swarmed under in the end zone, putting two points for a safety up on the board with Kade Musser's tackle for loss in the UTPB end zone.
• Western added a 42-yard field goal by Tasei late in the opening quarter, then midway through the second added a Nash to DJ Allen Jr. 17-yard scoring pass to increase the margin to 15-0.
• Western's offense was stymied most of the rest of the way, though. Nash, averaging more than 260 passing yards per game, was held to just 105 yards, while the ground attack, with 114 net yards, was held to nearly 50 fewer yards than its per-game average.
• The Mountaineer defense was just as stout against the run, surrendering only 117 yards on the ground, but Gibson found success with short throws and bubble screens as his receivers totaled 199 yards after the catch to finish with 354 yards from the passing game.
• Linebackers Kaden Stewart (8 tackles), Cameron Cooper (7) and Ian Loomis (7) paced the defense, but a unit averaging 8.6 tackles for loss was limited to 5 with Gibson relying on a quick passing game to the sidelines and the occasional quarterback draw.

• Saturday's game was the fourth time in five seasons in which Western advanced into the DII playoffs.
• Last week's win at Central Washington was the second consecutive season in which the Mountaineers won their opening round game, both times against Central, to advance to the second round for only the second time in program history since becoming an NCAA DII member.

Head coach Jas Bains, with the first-round playoff win at Central, won his 75th game as the coach of the Mountaineers, and the past five seasons has led the program to a 48-13 record.

This story was provided by the Western Colorado University sports information department.