HICKORY, NC – CIAA champion Virginia Union advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Div. II Super Region II football playoffs with a dominating 44-12 semifinal win on the road here at Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday afternoon.
The Panthers (10-3), who received the seventh and final seed in the region, will play at top-seed Valdosta State on Saturday with the winner advancing to the Final Four of the NCAA D2 playoffs. VSU defeated SIAC champion Miles 30-10 in the other regional semifinal Saturday.
“Back in August, I said that this was a team that could compete for the national championship,” said victorious seventh-year head coach Dr. Alvin Parker who has led the Panthers to two straight playoff wins, firsts in program history after ten straight defeats.
“Some people laughed at that and didn’t think we were capable. Now, we’re one of eight teams that’s still playing. We’re just blessed. Blessed to have a group that pretty much stayed the course, bought in and has done a lot of things that we’ve asked and played some good daggone football. I’m happy. It’s beyond words right now.”
L-RU (10-3) had no answer for Virginia Union’s relentless rushing attack that ground out 345 rushing yards, 185 on a whopping 38 carries and two short TDs by star running back Jada Byers. Reserve RB Curtis Allen added another 132 yards on just 11 carries with two TDs including a 68-yard back-breaking scoring run early in the fourth quarter that put the Panthers up 37-12 and sent the home crowd headed to the exits.
“I tell everybody we have the best running backs in all the CIs (CIAA) and the best front five (offensive line) in the nation,” Byers said. “So, we’re just going to keep doing our jobs.”
VUU dominated play in both halves, building a 20-6 halftime lead on two short TD runs off long drives and a 78-yard scoring pass play from QB R. J. Rosales to wideout Reginald Vick Jr.
The Panthers opened the second half with two long scoring drives that took up all of the third quarter. The first went 58 yards in 10 plays capped by a 9-yard scoring run by Rosales. The second covered 63 yards in 12 plays with placekicker Brady Myers kicking thru a 26-yard field goal for a 30-6 lead with 9:25 left.
After L-RU drove for just its second touchdown of the game, Allen took a handoff on the first play after the kickoff, veered left and outran defenders to the end zone.
VUU defeated No. 2 seed South Atlantic champion Wingate 34-31 in overtime for the program’s first NCAA playoff win a week earlier. L-RU was the SAC runner-up and defeated West Alabama 37-34 last week to set up the match-up with VUU.
“They’re good at what they do,” said L-RU head coach Doug Socha of the Panther’s running game. “You know it’s coming. They’ve got a great scheme, they’re good up front and when you can run the football and force a team to have a hard time stopping it, that’s very powerful.”
In addition to his rushing TD, Rosales, who started in place of injured starter Mark Wright, completed 10 of 17 passes for 179 yards and one score without a pick.
The Panthers wracked up 524 yards of total offense with just one miscue, a second-quarter fumble.
The VUU defense had only one sack but kept constant pressure on L-RU QB Jalen Ferguson limiting him to 19 completions in 41 attempts for 252 yards with two TDs and two picks. Defensive back Jalen Mayo led the VUU defense with nine tackles. D-Lineman Isaac Anderson had five solo tackles, two breakups and one hurry.