PITTSBURG, Kan.— The No. 13 UIndy football team opened the 2022 NCAA Division II playoffs Saturday afternoon, falling 35-0 to host and undefeated Pittsburg State University. The Greyhounds end the season at 9-2, while the fourth-ranked Gorillas move on to the second round to face the No. 2 seed, the Bulldogs of Ferris State.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Pitt State put the Hounds on the back foot right away, returning the opening kickoff 98 yards for a quick score. Three first-half turnovers by UIndy followed, as the Gorillas were able to build a lead.
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UIndy's best scoring chance came in the third quarter. The Greyhounds pounced on a muffed punt by Pitt State, with
Khoreice Crawford recovering at the UIndy 45. Short passes to
Jeremiah Lee and
Toriano Clinton helped move the Hounds into the red zone. UIndy advanced down to the three-yard line before another turnover halted the drive.
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On the other side of the ball, the UIndy defense limited the Gorillas to just 36 yards rushing and 3-for-11 on third-down conversions. Linebacker
Benjamin Hunnius led the way with 10 tackles, while safety
Michael Brown produced a fourth-quarter interception in the end zone.
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UIndy limited Pitt State to zero offensive touchdowns after halftime, with its only second-half score coming on a 68-yard interception return.
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INSIDE THE BOX
-Clinton compiled 53 rushing yards on 16 carries, surpassing the 1,000-mark for the season. UIndy's all-time rushing leader finished his career with 4,538 rushing yards.
-Senior captain
Michael Dennison blocked a 47-yard field goal attempt late in the first half.
-The Greyhound defense produced nine tackles for a loss, including 2.0 from Hunnius and a solo sack from
Dylan Shelton.
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MORE NOTES
Saturday marked the first-ever meeting between UIndy and Pitt State … UIndy has now faced the MIAA champion in its last three playoff appearances (Fort Hays State, 2018; Central Missouri, 2019).
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