AN UNLIKELY HERO: Backup QB Tom Knecht powers ‘Cats to 2015 football 38-35 NCAA playoff victory over UMHB on Maxwell Field, Sat., Dec. 5, 2015
Part of
the McMinnville N-R/News-Register ‘Linfield Football Remembrance of Games Past’
special series by Linfielder Rusty Rae.
Character counts!
Sometimes integrity is all that keeps a team
going.
Even after your team has survived the first two
rounds of the NCAA DIII playoffs, the slog to the championship game requires
more than sheer talent. As the degree of difficulty rises, character — the
blunt refusal to compromise in the sporting life becomes the foundation of team
success.
Perhaps no game in Linfield history personifies
character more than its 2015 38-35 third-round victory over University of Mary
Hardin-Baylor. Keep in mind merely reaching the third round is an achievement.
It means the Wildcats are one of eight elite teams still in contention.
Of course, the Wildcats have been among the
eight previously, including in 2004 when they won the national title. That’s a
story for later; this is a story about one specific game.
Countless behind the scenes hours go into
preparation for these quarterfinal contests. The Wildcats’ coaching staff
studies the opposition’s game tapes developing schemes they hope will give them
the slightest advantage over the opposition.
Strategy requires personnel. At this stage of
the season frequently a team’s roster doesn’t resemble what it did at the
beginning of the campaign, or even at the start of the playoff run.
Notes Linfield head coach Joseph Smith, “The
pounding of these games takes a toll. We normally have two or three starters
who are either out with an injury or are trying to get healthy enough to play.”
The NCAA’s playoff schedule is often dictated by
financial requirements and favors teams of the East. Mt. Union, for example,
winner of numerous national titles over the last two decades, plays weaker
teams in its early matchups. The result is at halftime the starters are resting
on the sidelines in blowout contests.
The 2019 season — the last one played — marked
the first time in recent history Mt. Union didn’t make the quarterfinals. Also,
for the first time in years, they were on the road in the second round, losing
to the eventual national champion, North Central, in a one-score game.
Linfield faced the talented Crusaders from
Belton, Texas at home in a 2015 quarterfinal game. UMHB’s squad consisted of
several DI level players along with a juggernaut offense and shutdown defense.
Linfield rolled through its season, including
its first two playoff contests. However, starting quarterback Sam Riddle, an
all-conference selection, was out with a high ankle sprain sustained against
Courtland the week before.
Enter back-up QB Tom Knecht.
Knecht finished the Courtland game and started
against the vaunted UMHB squad the following week.
From Lakeridge High School, Knecht had lost the
competition to Riddle for the starting position. But the two had become best
friends. Riddle was the first to approach Knecht, telling him, “You’re ready —
you’ll do great.”
But the first eight minutes became a nightmare
for the ‘Cats when the Cru’ ran and passed to a 21-0 lead. In no phase of the
game did Linfield appear in sync. The Cru’ sliced through the ‘Cat defense in
its first series, advancing 75 yards in six plays.
Knecht threw an interception on Linfield’s first
offensive series. He recalled, “It was a bad mistake against a good team.”
Indeed, UMHB picked up an easy score, needing only three plays to reap its
second TD of the game.
An uncharacteristically poor punt on the next
Linfield offensive series that went 23 yards handed the Crusaders ideal
starting field position on the ‘Cat 48-yard line, leading to a third score.
Finally, with 7:46 left in the first quarter, Knecht and the Linfield offense
began to claw their way out of a deep 21-0 hole.
Perhaps the key play of the game — though there
would be others — occurred after an incompletion on a second-and-nine play from
the Linfield 27. Afterward, a Crusader player sauntered by the Linfield
sidelines unleashing a barrage of trash talk. He was whistled for
unsportsmanlike conduct.
Smith recalled, “That really sparked the team.
It got the defense aroused and then we were able to go down and score thanks in
part to the penalty.”
In fact, Knecht located his rhythm. He connected
with wide receiver Johnny Carroll on a 36-yard arrow for the first touchdown.
On the Cru’s ensuing offensive series, Linfield recovered a fumble and
capitalized on a short field, scoring in three plays as Knecht threw a dart to
Zach Kuzens for a nine yarder, narrowing the margin to 21-14.
However, UMHB would score again before the end
of the half to forge a 28-14 lead.
Notes Knecht, “We got on the drawing board at
halftime and made a couple of adjustments. We knew we weren’t out of the game.
We came out of the locker room with a little chip on our shoulders thinking we
can beat these guys.”
Linfield’s defense revived as well in third
stanza, pitching a shutout. Knecht and the offense dissected the Crusader
defense for a pair of scores. On the first drive, Knecht hit on passes of 43
and 37 yards. “On the 43-yarder to Eric (Igbinoba), I really just threw it up
for him and he went up against two defenders and made the play — he made me
look good,” Knecht said.
UMHB drove to the Linfield 35 and appeared on
the brink of another score. But a snap over the head of the Cru’ QB and covered
by Linfield All-American defensive end Alex Hoff gave the ‘Cats the ball at the
50-yard line.
Knecht wasted zero time putting the ‘Cats in the
end zone, tying the game at 28 as the third quarter concluded.
With just under seven minutes remaining, Knecht
hit Brian Balsiger on a 27-yard strike. Linfield secured its first lead of the
game, 35-28. The ‘Cats appeared in control their destiny.
But a minute later Crusader QB Zach Anderson
connected with speedster Thomas DeNerian who dashed 85 yards knotting the score
at 35. On the ensuing Linfield series, Knecht threw his third interception —
one that haunts him even now.
“I stepped up in the pocket — but threw across
my body — kind of forced the ball when maybe I could have run for a few yards
or just thrown it away,” he said.
What a golden opportunity for UMHB, starting a
drive on the Linfield 23-yard line at the 5:18 mark. On a third-and-four from
the Linfield 17, unbelievably, the Crusader center hiked the ball over the QB’s
head yet again and again Hoff was there to cover the errant snap 35 yards
downfield.
Notes Smith, “Credit our defense on that play.
When the center is under duress — trying to move and get into position for the
block — that‘s when those high snaps happen.”
Knecht calmly drove the ‘Cat offense into
scoring position from the 50-yard line. A 13-yard bullet to Igbinoba followed
by a six-yard dash by Spencer Payne set Michael Metter up for the winning field
goal with three seconds left. While UMHB tried to ice him with a pair of time
outs, Metter’s kick was true for the win.
On the sidelines, Knecht, along with the rest of
the team, described a crazy rush of emotions that overcame him. He and Riddle
shared a hug while Knecht addressed the team in their postgame meeting.
While Knecht could have started for any other
team in the league, he never considered transferring. “I got the chance to
perform and Sam out-performed me — he won the job.
“The relationships that I developed at Linfield
— with coach Smith — with Sam and my teammates, were far more important to me
than a starting a football game,” he said.
Added Smith, “I couldn’t have been more excited
for Tom. He could have been an All-American QB — but didn’t get the chance. Had
Sam not come to the program, Tom would have been our QB.”
Knecht is likely the last QB to throw for more
than 400-yards against the Crusaders. Smith added his performance forced the
UMHB coaching staff to completely rethink their defensive scheme.
Forged over four years of perseverance, on this
day Knecht’s character helped bring Linfield victory, a berth in the semifinal
round, and a game Linfield fans take pride in retelling.
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