Sam Houston State Bearkats @ Villanova Wildcats
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SHSU | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
NOVA | 13 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 31 |
Sam Houston State advances in FCS playoffs 34-31
VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Jared Johnson threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns, and orchestrated the game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown drive, to lead Sam Houston State to a 34-31 win over Villanova in the FCS quarterfinals Saturday.
TCU transfer LaDarius Brown had 174 receiving yards and two touchdowns for the Bearkats (11-4), who move on to play at second-seeded North Dakota State, a 39-32 winner over Coastal Carolina, in the semifinals next week.
Chris Gough missed a game-tying 51-yard field-goal attempt with 34 seconds left for sixth-seeded Villanova (11-3).
Filling in for injured star John Robertson, a Walter Payton Award finalist, Chris Polony threw for 228 yards and a touchdown and ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns, including a 1-yard run with 7:15 remaining that put the Wildcats ahead 31-27.
But the Bearkats took the lead right back three minutes later with a 10-play, 75-yard TD drive capped by a 1-yard plunge by Jalen Overstreet.
