The Pioneers turned the ball over 4 times en route to a 38-0 loss at the hands of #1 Sioux Falls in the semifinals on Saturday. It marks the first time the Pioneers have been shut out since November of 1996. Sioux Falls set the tone early by driving 81 yards into a strong win to find the end zone. The Cougars then forced a 3-and-out and were able to control field position for most of the game.
The Pioneers trailed 17-0 at halftime but maintained hope based on a remarkable second-half track record. Against their 4 best opponents (Lindenwood, MO Valley, Georgetown, Morningside), the Pioneers allowed 3 total points in the second half. But the Pioneers fumbled to open the third quarter, giving USF the ball in the red zone. The Cougars found the end zone 3 plays later, took a 24-0 lead, and never let the Pioneers breathe. Sioux Falls found the end zone twice more and punched their ticket to their 5th straight title game.
Offensively,
James Tillman rushed 17 times for 50 yards.
Sean Ransburg completed 8 passes for 80 yards. And
Juan Redmon caught 4 passes for 36 yards.
On the other side of the ball,
Dantren Anderson and
AJ Rodriguez recorded 8 tackles apiece. Linebacker
Jake Duren capped his remarkable Pioneer career with 20 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. In 5 playoff contests with MNU, Duren was the leading tackler in each game and averaged 16.0 tackles per game.
The Pioneers finish the best season in MNU history at 12-1.
Stats and Play by Play
