The 2021 NCAA Division III Football Championship Game, more commonly referred to as the 2021 Stagg Bowl or Stagg Bowl XLVIII, is a postseason college football game that determined a national champion in NCAA Division III for the 2021 season. It was played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on December 17, 2021. Kickoff was scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST, and the game aired on ESPNU. The game featured the North Central Cardinals, from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, and the Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders, from the American Southwest Conference.

2021 NCAA Division III Football Championship
Stagg Bowl XLVIII
1234 Total
North Central 71007 24
Mary Hardin–Baylor 1631424 57
DateDecember 17, 2021
Season2021
StadiumTom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
LocationCanton, Ohio
RefereeStuart Hindman (Centennial)
Attendance1,830
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPNU
NCAA Division III Football Championship
 < 2019 2022

Teams

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The participants of the 2021 NCAA Division III Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2021 Division III Playoffs, a 32-team single-elimination bracket.[1] The game featured North Central, the defending national champions after winning the 2019 Stagg Bowl, and making their second title game appearance,[2] and Mary Hardin–Baylor, seeking their second championship (their 2016 championship victory was later vacated) in their fifth title game appearance.[3] This contest was the first between the two teams.[3]

National semifinals

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Semifinals
December 11
Hosted by team with asterisk
National Championship
December 17
Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, OH
      
North Central 26
* Mount Union 13
North Central 24
Mary Hardin–Baylor 57
Mary Hardin–Baylor 24
* Wisconsin–Whitewater 7

Game summary

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2021 Stagg Bowl
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Mary Hardin-Baylor 16 3 142457
North Central 7 10 0724

at Tom Benson Hall of Fame StadiumCanton, Ohio

  • Date: Friday, December 17, 2021
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 38 °F (3 °C) • Wind: -->
  • Game attendance: 1,830
  • Referee: Stuart Hindman
  • TV: ESPNU
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP Mary Hardin-Baylor North Central
1 14:48 0 0 0:12 North Central 93 Yard Kickoff Return Touchdown by DeAngelo Hardy, Tanner Rains Kick Good 0 7
1 11:51 6 62 2:53 Mary Hardin-Baylor 32-yard field goal by Brandon Cunningham 3 7
1 9:39 3 25 0:47 Mary Hardin-Baylor Brandon Jordan 19-yard touchdown reception from Kyle King, Brandon Cunningham kick blocked 9 7
1 2:14 6 83 3:04 Mary Hardin-Baylor K.J. Miller 19-yard touchdown reception from Kyle King, Brandon Cunningham kick good 16 7
2 5:32 14 90 6:58 North Central Ethan Greenfield 1-yard touchdown run, Tanner Rains kick good 16 14
2 2:05 6 39 2:35 North Central 22-yard field goal by Tanner Rains 16 17
2 0:00 8 56 1:58 Mary Hardin-Baylor 22-yard field goal by Brandon Cunningham 19 17
3 9:39 12 81 5:13 Mary Hardin-Baylor Aphonso Thomas 15-yard touchdown run, Brandon Cunningham kick good 26 17
3 1:31 10 91 4:55 Mary Hardin-Baylor Aphonso Thomas 3-yard touchdown run, Brandon Cunningham kick good 33 17
4 14:49 4 1 0:53 Mary Hardin-Baylor 20-yard field goal by Brandon Cunningham 36 17
4 10:10 5 46 2:09 Mary Hardin-Baylor Kenneth Cormier 11-yard touchdown run, Brandon Cunningham kick good 43 17
4 7:47 7 71 2:19 North Central Blake Williams 30-yard touchdown reception from Luke Lehnen, Tanner Rains kick good 43 24
4 6:01 3 44 1:44 Mary Hardin-Baylor Aaron Sims 37-yard touchdown reception from Kyle King, Brandon Cunningham kick good 50 24
4 0:42 6 53 3:16 Mary Hardin-Baylor Brenton Martin 17-yard touchdown reception from Ryan Redding, Brandon Cunningham kick good 57 24
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 57 24

Statistics

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Statistics NCC UMHB
First downs 18 28
Plays–yards 61-287 65-596
Rushes–yards 34-85 32-133
Passing yards 202 463
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 18-27-3 24-33-0
Time of possession 28:48 31:12
Team Category Player Statistics
North Central Passing Luke Lehnen 18-27, 202 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing Ethan Greenfield 25 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Andrew Kamienski 8 receptions, 115 yards
Mary Hardin–Baylor Passing Kyle King 22-29, 436 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Aphonso Thomas 13 carries, 65 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Brenton Martin 9 receptions, 170 yards, 1 TD

References

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  1. ^ "2021 Division III Football Official Bracket". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "North Central College Cardinal Football Fact Sheet" (PDF). North Central College. p. 2. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "2021 Mary Hardin-Baylor Football Media Guide" (PDF). Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders Football. Retrieved December 12, 2021.