The Good
I like my dessert first, so let’s start with the things that went right for the Mules. While they fell just shy of defeating the back-to-back national champions, they managed to score 20 points against a rigid defense that posted three shut outs and allowed just 14 total points per game leading up to their matchup against the Mules. This comes out to an average of 3.5 points per game.
Let that sink in for a moment.
The Bearcats defense held opposing teams to nearly a field goal per game in their first four games of the season.
The last team to score 20 or more points against the Bearcats was the Ferris State Bulldogs in the Division II semifinals last December.
It wasn’t simply the score that made the Mules offense stand out against Northwest’s previous opponents; it was also their ability to pass. The Bearcats defense allowed 348 total yards passing to opposing teams prior to facing the Mules. Brook Bolles threw for 309 yards on Saturday.
Not only did Bolles nearly match the total number of yards passing by every quarterback that faced the Bearcats, but he also accomplished a feat that is rarely seen when facing the green and white.
Since the start of the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played 60 games, including NCAA tournament games. Over the course of those 60 games, the Northwest defense has allowed an opposing team to throw for 300 or more passing just seven times.
So, it wasn’t a bad day of passing for a quarterback in just his fifth outing as a starting quarterback.
The Bad
There were some highlights of the day, but if everything went to plan, the headline would’ve read, “Mules upset the dynasty”. So, let’s take a look at why that wasn’t the case.
There is a multitude of variables that can be examined to determine how the Mules faired in a given contest, but there is one that remains consistent: the run game.
When the Mules run well, they win. It’s that simple. The Mules were 3-1 heading into Arrowhead Stadium. They averaged 254 yards rushing in their three victories. They totaled just 31 yards rushing in their sole loss against Fort Hays State.
Against Northwest, the Mules mustered a measly 72 yards on the ground. Devante Turner had 11 carries, his second most so far this season. The redshirt freshmen, however, ran for only 23 yards rushing, significantly less than his average of 101 yards per game. The only game in which Turner had fewer yards was the Mules’ loss prior to facing to Northwest.
The other problem that plagued the Mules was the Bearcats junior receiver, Shawn Bane. Bane accumulated a season-high 139 yards receiving against the Mules.
While the game may have been Bane’s best of the season, it was by no means a breakout game for him. Bane was the leading receiver for the Bearcats last season with 707 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. He is the Bearcats top receiver this season with 239 yards receiving prior to facing the Mules.
With this in mind, the Mules secondary should have been well aware of the threat that Bane posed. The Mules, however, struggled to cover Bane and allowed him to haul in two receptions of 40 or more yards. His fourth-quarter 47-yard reception setup the Bearcats game-winning touchdown
The Ugly
Speaking of a game-winning touchdown, it would be easy to wrap up this article by stating that the Bearcats 30-second drive to win the game was the sole reason the Mules lost. That is not the case, though.
The Bearcats capitalized on defense mistakes in the final moments of the game, but the only reason the game was decided by a last-second touchdown was the fact that the Mules made a plethora of offensive mistakes earlier in the game.
The final drive from the Bearcats would have been a moot point had the Mules offense avoided costly mistakes. Bolles threw a pick-six midway through the first quarter to give the Bearcats their first touchdown of the evening and later fumbled on the Mules’ 13-yard line to prompt a Northwest field goal. These two mistakes resulted in 10 total points for the Bearcats and could have dramatically altered the outcome of the game.
This is by no means to say that Bolles cost the Mules the game either. Bolles was heavily pressured throughout the game. The Mules offense line was overpowered by the Bearcats at times and allowed Bolles to be sacked on six different occasions.
It was easy to criticize the Mules defense in the closing moments of the contest, but in reality, just as much damage was done by the Mules offense.
Defeating the best Division II team in the nation requires a near flawless game; and while the Mules played one of the best games of the season, there was still an excess of costly errors that cost them the victory.