INDIANAPOLIS – After crafting its first undefeated regular season in 64 years, the sixth-ranked UIndy football team (11-1) opened the 2017 NCAA Division II Football Championship with a 27-24 loss to Harding University Saturday at Key Stadium. The Greyhounds' postseason run ended at the doorstep of the potential game-winning score, but the Bison defense escaped a 1st-&-goal situation unscathed in the final minutes.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a second half that featured four lead changes, the Greyhounds found themselves in possession of the ball down three points with nine minutes to go. UIndy immediately went to the ground game, relentlessly feeding freshman Al McKeller on nearly every play of what ended as an eight-minute drive. The Indianapolis native garnered 12 carries during the series, including a 10-yard run that set up 1st & goal for the Hounds at the Harding three-yard line with just 2:35 showing on the clock.
 
Later facing 3rd & goal at the two, UIndy had back-to-back uncharacteristic plays that proved fatal. The Hounds, who regularly made clutch plays throughout their unbeaten regular season, fumbled on the third-down play after an unsuccessful QB-center exchange. They managed to recover at the eight-yard line to salvage a chance at a game-tying field goal, but the kick never happened as another bad exchange all but ended the scoring chance with just 66 seconds left.
 
Though there was also a lot of action in the first half, the biggest factor may have come in the form of a 132-minute lightning delay late in the second quarter. Prior to the stoppage, the Bisons (8-3) used their triple-option scheme effectively, scoring touchdowns on each of their first two offensive possessions to take a 14-0 lead.
 
The Hounds bounced back by holding their guests scoreless for the next 29 minutes of play, allowing the offense to put up 17 unanswered points and earn the team's first lead early in the second half.
 
The Hounds' final score came on a 47-yard bomb from Jake Purichia to Malik Higgins. Purichia found a wide-open Higgins after the all-conference receiver broke free on a double-move, putting UIndy up 24-21 early in the fourth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Purichia's TD throw to Higgins gave him 29 touchdown passes on the year, matching the program's single-season record first set by Chris Mills in 2011.
- McKeller capped a stellar freshman campaign with a 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
- Higgins needed just five catches to amass 127 receiving yards on the day.
- Linebacker Joe Lambright led all players with 13 total tackles, followed by senior Aeneas White with 10.
- Defensive end Jacob Schmatz recorded one tackle for a loss, giving him 18.5 on the year, good for a share of eighth in the UIndy single-season annals.
- Senior Brad Schickel broke off a career-long 73-yard punt in the fourth quarter, coming just short of the school record 79-yard punt by Tyran Fakes in 2010.
 
HOUND BYTES
Head Coach Bob Bartolomeo with his general thoughts on the game…
"I'd like to tip my hat to Harding. I think they played a very good football game offensively. That option is a handful to get ready for in three days, but I thought they competed to the end and they made one more play than we did.
 
"At the same time, I'd like to congratulate our 17 seniors. I thought they had a great run for UIndy, and it's a tough way to lose."
 
Bartolomeo on getting down early but coming back…
"I thought we competed. Our kids played hard. I thought that they did what was asked of them. You keep reverting back to the last play, but this didn't come down to that; we've got to get the ball in the end zone. We've got to stop them on defense. Our special teams are a big part of what got us here, so it's a team game, and you know, we just didn't make enough plays there at the end on both sides (of the ball)."
 
MORE NOTES
The Greyhounds were making their fourth postseason appearance in the last six years … This year's team set program records for wins in a season (11), consecutive wins (15) and points per game (38.2) ... Seven of Saturday's 12 first-round contests were won by the lower seed ... Harding would go on to win three consecutive road games in the 2017 playoffs, winning at Ashland and Ferris State before being eliminated in the national semifinals by eventual-national-champ Texas A&M-Commerce.