Chase Vinatieri kicked the game-winning 40-yard field goal with 1 minute and 21 seconds remaining in the game to lift eighth-seeded South Dakota State to a hard-fought 10-7 victory over Villanova in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs Saturday.
The Jackrabbits improved to 9-3 overall and will face top-seeded North Dakota State in quarterfinal action at 11 a.m. on Dec. 10 at the Fargodome.The game will be televised by ESPN.
Villanova ended its season with a 9-4 mark.
Each team put together a long scoring drive in the first half, with SDSU breaking into the scoring column first with a nine-play, 78-yard touchdown drive. Sophomore quarterback Taryn Christion, who completed his first nine pass attempts, connected with fellow Walter Payton Award finalists Dallas Goedert and Jake Wieneke on back-to-back pass plays of 26 and 23 yards to move the ball to the Wildcat 17. Three plays later, Christion hit Goedert on the fade in the left corner of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
