(NCAA Note: Due to web server issues, some of Joel's more recent posts were lost. Many of the pictures associated with the blogs were lost as well. Sorry for the errors.)

After fumbling a shotgun snap from Nelly on 2nd-and-8 from the 10-yard line, I knew I had to make something happen on the next down. Facing 3rd-and-18 from the 20-yard line, I dropped back to throw. When I saw that no one was open, I decided to take off running down the middle of the field. I didn't get touched until I was at the 5-yard line. I knew I was short of the first down. When I got hit, my body and head turned to the left and I could see LC coming to my left behind me a couple of yards. Instinctively, I pitched it to LC before I went to the ground. Thank GOD he caught the ball and managed to drag a defender into the end zone for the touchdown. I don't even want to think about the consequences I would have had to face if he wouldn't have caught it.

Those two plays were very uncharacteristic for me because that was the first time all year that I fumbled a shotgun snap from Nelly, and that was the first time in my life that I tried to pitch the ball to one of my teammates after I had scrambled. That play put us ahead 34-7 at the beginning of the third quarter, and the final score ended up being 41-7.

We won the coin toss to start the game and elected to defer to the second half. UNA took the ball so we took the wind. Little did we know how much of an advantage that would be.

Offensively, four of our first five drives started at UNA's 35 or better. We took advantage of the great job our defense and special teams did to make the score 20-0 after the first quarter.

We went into halftime ahead 27-7 thanks to an interception by Myles Burnsides, who was named the National Defensive Player of the Year, which he returned to the 1-yard line. LC scored on the next play. I really believe that took the wind out of UNA's sails.

I want to commend our offensive line, tight ends, fullbacks, and receivers for doing a great job all day blocking in our running game, especially in the second half when all we did was run the football. When you can run the football, you can win in the playoffs and in cold weather. Our defense also played extremely well. They set the tone early in the game and gave us great field position all day.

We went from 4 teams to 2 teams last week. Minnesota-Duluth and Northwest are the only teams left standing in D2. Our goal this week is to go from 2 to 1. Everyone knows that we've been here before. This year is different though. Instead of focusing on everything that comes with winning a championship, we are keeping things in perspective. We know that to win it, we must do the things we've done all year. That includes taking things one step at a time, and doing 1/11th, which means doing your job, playing smart, playing with great effort and playing for your teammates.

Duluth is a great team. They are disciplined and have good coaches. If everyone on our team does their 1/11th, the outcome of the game on Saturday will be in the Bearcats' favor.

I don't know if I get to write anymore blogs, so I wanted to thank everyone for reading them each week. Also, thanks to all the great Bearcat fans throughout the nation and around the world for all your support each and every week.

It has been an honor for me to play quarterback for Northwest Missouri State University. I am going to miss it so much. Looking back on things, I have no regrets because I worked as hard as I could for four and a half years. There is nothing else I could have done to put me in a better position to win a championship my senior year.

See ya,

Ozzy #12