Occidental Moves On in Playoffs

There is a perception among many that the only real college football is played on the Division I level.

Of course, none of those people were present Saturday when Occidental was playing in its first Division III playoff game in 19 years.

Had they been among the 1,800 at the Eagle Rock campus, they would have seen that, at the least, the Tigers looked like a football team.

Led by freshman Andy Collins, who had four touchdown passes, Occidental pulled away in the second half for a 28-14 victory over Willamette University of Salem, Ore. Its reward is a second-round game Saturday at Concord-Moorhead of Moorhead, Minn.

“Football’s football wherever you go,” said Collins, a transfer from Oregon, where he was a redshirt for one season. “As soon as you step on the sidelines it’s the same game. There are different levels, but if you love the game, you do what you’ve got to do to play.”

It was an attitude seemingly shared by players on both sides during a hard-hitting contest that appeared evenly matched until the start of the second half. That’s when Collins, who had several of his passes dropped by receivers early on, connected with Zac Sakowski on a 70-yard pass play for a touchdown that put the Tigers ahead, 21-14.

From then, the Tiger defense, which knocked starting quarterback Cameron Walton out because of a knee injury in the third quarter, effectively shut down the Bearcat rushing attack -- holding it to 136 yards -- and held on for the triumph.

Sakowski finished with a game-high five receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and teammate Josh Jones caught four passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns, including one of 38 yards that put the Tigers ahead, 14-7, with 6 minutes 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Collins completed 14 of 37 passes for 204 yards, but had 11 carries for 49 yards, often making key gains at key junctures.

“Their quarterback is difficult to defend,” Willamette Coach Mark Speckman said. “He throws well, has a great grasp of the offense and has that escapability, which is the most dangerous quality a quarterback can have.”

The Tigers were led on defense by senior linebacker Colin MacNeil, who had a game-high 7 1/2 tackles.

Asked to reflect on his four years as a Division III athlete with perhaps only one more game in his future, he needed only a moment.

“We just play because we have the opportunity to play four more years,” MacNeil said. “Whereas buddies we went to high school with, they don’t play football anymore. But they come out to our games and say, ‘I wish I was playing with you.’

“It’s just about getting one more opportunity to go out and bump heads.”