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John Carroll in semifinals
MOUNT BERRY, Georgia -- John Carroll forced seven turnovers and held Berry College scoreless until the final nine minutes for a 21-13 win in an NCAA Division III quarterfinal on a 68-degree Saturday at Valhalla Stadium.
The Blue Streaks improve to 12-1 as they had five interceptions and recovered two fumbles.
John Carroll advances to the semifinals for the third time and will travel to defending national champion North Central (13-0) in Naperville, Illinois, at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Leaders of the John Carroll defense included senior linebacker Mason Rus from Kirtland with nine tackles, including 1 1/2 for losses, and sophomore cornerback Dylan Crasi from Aurora with two interceptions.
Nick Semptimphelter completed 20 of 28 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Tyren Montgomery had nine catches for 126 yards. South Range High School graduate Shane Lindstrom added three catches for 27 yards.
In the other semifinal, University of Wisconsin-River Falls (12-1) will host Johns Hopkins (12-1) on Saturday.
Johns Hopkins is in the semifinals for the third time, including a 45-37 loss at Mount Union last year, while UW-River Falls is making its first appearance.
Wiggin never missed a game with Browns
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Paul Wiggin, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee as a player who later was the head coach at Stanford University and the Kansas City Chiefs, died Friday. He was 91.
Wiggin's passing was announced by the National Football Foundation, the Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns.
Wiggin was the fourth-oldest living NFF Hall of Famer at the time of his passing.
"Paul Wiggin represented everything the NFF College Football Hall of Fame aspires to honor, specifically excellence on the field, leadership on the sidelines, and a lifelong commitment to the game," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "His impact on college football spanned generations, and he leaves behind a legacy that will long be remembered. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing."
Wiggin played for Stanford from 1954-56 and was a two-time All-America selection as a defensive tackle. He was named Stanford's Defensive Player of the Century in fan voting.
He was drafted in the fourth round by Cleveland Browns in 1957 and played his entire 11-year career with the franchise, never missing a game and earning two Pro Bowl selections.
Pitt gets to national semifinal
PITTSBURGH -- Top-seeded Pitt advanced to its fifth consecutive NCAA national semifinal with a 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17 victory over third-seeded Purdue on Saturday night at the Petersen Events Center.
Olivia Babcock paced the No. 4 Panthers (30-4) with 23 kills while adding four digs and two blocks, earning Pittsburgh Regional Most Outstanding Player honors. With the win, Pitt became the first program to reach five straight national semifinals since Texas from 2012-16.
Crestview High School graduate and Pitt freshman Abbey Emch had two kills, two assists and three digs in four sets.
The Panthers will meet No. 6 Texas A&M on Thursday in the semifinal at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The Aggies scored a five-set upset win over No. 1 Nebraska on Saturday.
The opening set was tightly contested before Pitt seized control late. Trailing 19-18, the Panthers regrouped out of a timeout as Mallorie Meyer delivered a service ace and Pitt followed with consecutive kills to swing momentum. Purdue used its final timeout after another Babcock termination made it 23-20, but Marina Pezelj closed the set and Babcock finished it with her ninth kill for a 25-22 advantage.
Pitt carried that momentum into the second set, building a 13-9 lead before Purdue responded with a 5-0 run to briefly regain control. The Panthers answered with steady offense and defensive pressure, forcing the Boilermakers to burn two timeouts while Pitt maintained a four-point edge. A kill by freshman Abbey Emch and a Purdue hitting error sealed the 25-21 win and a 2-0 match lead.
Purdue refused to fold, jumping ahead early in the third set and holding off repeated Pitt rallies. The Panthers pulled within one at 17-16, but the Boilermakers closed strong to take the set, 25-22, and extend the match.
Pitt responded decisively in the fourth. Behind tough serving from Brooke Mosher and Pezelj, the Panthers opened a 9-5 lead and never relinquished control. Bre Kelley and Babcock combined for key kills as Pitt stretched the margin, and the Panthers closed out the set 25-17 to clinch the match.