-- Story provided by Alma College Athletics --
Alma, MI – Alma College Football hosted DePauw University in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Football Tournament on Saturday. The Scots were victorious by a final of 32-17, advancing to the second round for the 2nd straight season at 11-0.
Alma needed just one play to get on the board in the game. One play drives have been a regular occurrence for the Scots in 2023. However, the caveat was that Alma didn't have the ball to start the game. On the opening play, an end around from DePauw saw the ball pop out at the end of the play, and Jerome Roberson was right there to scoop it up and take it 21 yards to the endzone. A 2 point conversion got Alma an 8-0 lead early.
Alma's defense locked down DePauw once again, with the Tigers D also coming to play. The visiting defenders brought their A-game which, paired with a strong wind, frustrated Alma's passing attack throughout the game. DePauw was finally able to string together a 16 play, 63-yard drive to score and come with one point. Utilizing the ground game more, Alma responded with a 65-yard drive, punctuated by an 11-yard touchdown rush from Jordan Williams to make the score 15-7 after one quarter.
The Scots piled on the points to open the second quarter. A massive 90-yard drive was capped by a Carter St. John touchdown run from 7-yards out. The visitors answered with a touchdown drive of their own, but Alma used a well-timed interception to tack on a 36-yard field goal as time expired.
DePauw managed a field goal in the third quarter, but the Scots passing attack, which had been frustrated all day, finally connected on a 66-yard touchdown strike from St. John to Devon Frenchko, which would cap the scoring.
As the clock ran down, the Scots defense stepped up with big play after big play to shut down DePauw. In the end, Alma moved on with the final at 32-17.
Carter St. John went 10-19 for 153 yards and a touchdown through the air, adding a score on the ground as well. Despite not seeing action in the 2nd half, Eddie Williams led rushers in the game with 76 yards. Devon Frenchko led Alma receivers with 96 yards on 3 receptions.
Defensively, the Scots were led by Gage Nelson, who was all over the field with 17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. Preston Marlatt snagged an interception, and Jerome Roberson recovered a fumble for a touchdown, and recorded just one tackle, with that tackle being a 4th down sack to effectively end the game.
Alma advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and will likely be on the road, facing a tall task in powerhouse #2 Mount Union.
