North Dakota Is Division II Champ

Jed Perkerewicz scored on a one-yard with 29 seconds to play Saturday as North Dakota outlasted Grand Valley State, 17-14, at Florence, Ala., for its first NCAA Division II championship.

Grand Valley State (13-1) appeared poised to win its first national championship when quarterback Ryan Brady scored his second touchdown of the day on a 12-yard run with 2:46 to play.

North Dakota (14-1) then drove 80 yards in nine plays for the winning score. On fourth down with 38 seconds to play, Kelby Klosterman hit Luke Schleusner with a 58-yard pass to the one-yard line. Perkerewicz scored on the next play.

Perkerewicz ran 26 times for 96 yards.

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Georgia Southern 38, Appalachian State 24--Anthony Williams returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown to help Georgia Southern win a Division I-AA quarterfinal at Statesboro, Ga.

The Eagles (12-1), seeking their seventh national title and third in a row, will play Southern Conference rival Furman at home in the semifinals. The victory was Georgia Southern’s second of the season over Appalachian State (9-4).

Furman 34, Lehigh 17--Toreico O’Neal ran for 128 yards and Hindley Brigham had 105 for Furman in a Division I-AA quarterfinal at Greenville, S.C.

Lamar Rembert added 66 yards rushing as the Paladins rotated three backs to replace the injured Louis Ivory, the most valuable player in Division I-AA in 2000.

Furman (11-2) gained 332 yards rushing and held Lehigh (11-1) to 308 total yards.

Montana 49, Sam Houston State 24--John Edwards and Yohance Humphery ran for two touchdowns each and Etu Molden caught two scoring passes for the Grizzlies in a Division I-AA quarterfinal at Missoula, Mont.

Montana (13-1), shut out in the first half of its first-round game against Northwestern State, scored on all five of its possessions in the first half against the Bearkats (10-3) to take a 35-10 lead.

Northern Iowa 56, Maine 28--Adam Benge scored three touchdowns, including a 63-yard run that changed the momentum, as Northern Iowa (11-2) pulled away from Maine (9-3) in the second half of a Division I-AA quarterfinal at Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Bridgewater (Va.) 29, Rowan (N.J.) 24--Bridgewater’s Jason Lutz threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Brian Ratliff as time expired in the other Division III semifinal at Harrisonburg, Va.

The Eagles (12-0) trailed, 24-21, when they pinned Rowan (11-2) at its one late in the game. After Rowan gained four yards in three plays, punter Nick Frade gave up an intentional safety.

The Eagles got the ball at their 48 with 36 seconds left. Three plays later, Lutz then threw a long pass that Nick Lehto caught for a 49-yard gain at the Rowan one, stopping the clock only long enough for the officials to place the ball. Lutz then took a quick snap and hit Ratliff in the end zone.

Mount Union (Ohio) 35, St. John’s (Minn.) 14--Chuck Moore ran for 233 yards and three touchdowns as defending champion Mount Union won a Division III semifinal at Alliance, Ohio.

The Purple Raiders (13-0), seeking their sixth national title since 1993, have won 27 consecutive games.

City College of San Francisco 61, Palomar 12--Johnnie Mack ran for three touchdowns at Visalia as the Rams won their third consecutive California Community College title. San Francisco had a 47-0 halftime lead.