Football heads to NCAA playoffs
The University of Indianapolis football team will host the Mustangs of Midwestern State University at Key Stadium this Saturday for the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II football playoffs. It is the Greyhounds first appearance in the playoffs since joining Division II in 1979.
Head Football Coach Bob Bartolomeo said that he is excited for the opportunity.
“It feels great,” Bartolomeo said. “Very happy for the players, the coaching staff, who has done a great job, and again, just real excited.”
UIndy defeated the Urbana University Blue Knights in a 31-24 come-from-behind victory on Nov. 10, which gave the Greyhounds their first-ever nine-win season and the first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference football championship.
Junior quarterback Chris Mills prepares to start the Greyhound’s next offensive play against Delta State University on Nov. 3 at Key Stadium. UIndy won 33-18. Photo contributed by Steve DeMotte
The Greyhounds, who trailed 24-16 with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, came back to defeat the Blue Knights following a seven-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Chris Mills to redshirt sophomore Logan Young and a 10-yard touchdown run by Mills with 1:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. Redshirt senior linebacker Max Davis prevented a last minute comeback attempt by Urbana, by intercepting the Blue Knights with 1:29 remaining, which clinched the victory for the Greyhounds.
The Greyhounds defeated the Delta State University Statesmen the week before on Nov. 3, 33-18 at Key Stadium.
The game against Delta State was also senior night, and before the start of the game, all 15 seniors from this year’s team were recognized.
In the first quarter of the game, UIndy scored first from a 13-yard rushing touchdown by junior running back Klay Fiechter. The extra point following the touchdown, however, was blocked, and the Greyhounds only led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, following a 69-yard drive, redshirt sophomore kicker Scott Miller added three points with a 28-yard field goal that put the Greyhounds up 9-0. UIndy added to its lead just before the end of the first half, with a five-yard passing touchdown from Mills to senior wide receiver Mar’Quone Edmonds that gave the Greyhounds a 16-0 lead at the half.
In the third quarter, Miller hit a 41-yard field goal, following a 50-yard drive, extending the lead to 19-0. The Statesmen hit a field goal of their own later on in the quarter, following a 55-yard drive, and the quarter ended with UIndy on top 19-3.
Delta State pulled within eight at the beginning of the fourth following a 12-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion. Later, Fiechter scored on a one-yard touchdown run, following a 73-yard drive, that put the Greyhounds up 26-11. The score would not be Fiechter’s last, however, as he ran for another towards the end of the game for 61 yards, extending their lead to 33-11. Delta State would get the last score of the night with a 10-yard touchdown pass, following a quick 43-yard drive, making the final score 33-18.
Mills led the Greyhounds on offense, completing 28 of 37 passes with 294 passing yards and one touchdown, while Edmonds led the receivers with 169 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. With that performance, Edmonds became the first receiver in the program’s history to eclipse the 3,000 yard receiving mark.
On defense, the Greyhounds were led by Davis, who had a total of nine tackles in the game. On the ground, the Greyhounds were led by Fiechter, who had 112 rushing yards and three touchdown runs. Fiechter’s longest run in the game, 61 yards, which resulted in a touchdown, gave him the single-season rushing record in the program’s history.
Mills said that having Fiechter in the backfield has been a blessing to both the team and himself throughout the season.
“When he [Fiechter] gets the ball and gets going, you can’t catch him” Mills said. “To have a guy like that—that will not only run the ball but also block for you, because you know he will pick up any blitz that they bring—it’s really a safety blanket for me and the wide receivers.”
Kickoff for this Saturday’s playoff game is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Key Stadium. The winner will advance to the second round to play at Super Region #4 top-seed Colorado State-Pueblo on Nov. 24.
