Div II Playoffs
Catawba 66, Albany State 35

November 17, 2007

By Lut Williams

Quarterback Brad Roach's 340 passing yards and career-high five touchdowns led Catawba to 643 yards of total offense, too much for Albany State to overcome Saturday as the Golden Rams bowed 66-35 in a first round NCAA Div. II playoff game in Salisbury, N.C.

Behind its running game, Albany State gamely fought back from 14-0 and 21-7 first half deficits to tie the score at 21 midway thru the second period before Roach drove the Indians 80 yards in six plays and connected on his third first-half touchdown pass to give the Indians a 28-21 lead 11 seconds before the break.

Albany State running back Demetrice Johnson's fumble on the Rams' third play from scrimmage after receiving the second-half kickoff led to a 31-yard
field goal that gave the Indians a 31-21 lead.

ASU's Brian Porter returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards to paydirt pulling the Rams within 31-28 with 11:04 left in the third period. But that would be the Rams final score until late in the fourth quarter.

The Indians responded two plays later with Roach connecting on his fourth TD, this one to Antwan Strong covering 63 yards. Three plays after the kickoff, Porter was hit before he could corral a pitchout from ASU QB Kisan Flakes with the ball being picked up by Catawba's Ron Ellington and returned for a score. Those scores were the first of five straight touchdowns that blew the game open for Catawba.

Porter finished with 90 rushing yards on 20 carries. Flakes rushed for 44 yards and completed 16 of 34 passes for 155 yards and a late fourth-quarter touchdown.