Atchison, KS – UC Football, the #11 ranked team in the country, would take to the field on Saturday in their NAIA Football Championship Series First Round contest against the seventh-ranked Ravens of Benedictine College. A back-and-forth contest would end up needing extra time to find a winner. Unfortunately, it was Benedictine that would come away victorious as Cumberlands would fall to the Ravens 48-41 in double overtime. The loss ends the season for the Patriots as they end the year 10-2 overall on the season.  

UC would kick it away to open the game and hold the Ravens to force a punt. Unfortunately, a muffed punt would be recovered by Benedictine to give them possession back and in good field position. After regaining possession, a 14 yard TD pass from Shaefer Schuetz to Logan Harris would put the Ravens on the scoreboard first. The extra point was good to give Benedictine a 7-0 lead.

Cumberlands would get their first possession and would earn a first down, but would have to punt it away to BC. On the Ravens' next drive, Schuetz would fire one to the outside to Aaron Jackson, but Jarrett Cornelius would step in front and pick it off, giving UC great field position. Nine plays later, the Patriots would find paydirt on a fourth and four pass from John Owens to Austin Ysidro to make it 7-6 BC. The extra point was blocked to keep the Ravens in front 7-6 entering the second quarter.

After a punt by the Ravens, another nine play drive would result in a score as Owens would find Ysidro for a second time, this time from 50 yards out, to give the Patriots the lead. The point after from Devon McMillin was good, pushing UC out front 13-7. After a 64 yard punt by McMillin would go into the endzone for a touchback. On a six play drive, Benedictine would go deep on a third and 19 and convert as Schuetz would find Tre Adger as he leapt over the Patriot defense to haul in a touchdown. The point after was good as Benedictine would retake the lead 14-13. After another three and out by the Patriots, the Ravens would use a pass interference penalty to extend their drive and come away with a 34 yard field goal from Jacob Young to push their lead to 17-13 at the half.

In the third, a number of traded possessions led to UC getting on the board first. Nyre Holden would take it in from seven yards out for a touchdown. The PAT was good by McMillin as the Patriots regained the lead at 20-17 to enter the wild fourth quarter of play. On the opening drive of the fourth, Cumberlands would extend their lead to two possessions as Eric Forrest would find Milton Shelton out of the backfield from eight yards out for a score. The point after was good to make it 27-17 with 13 minutes to play.

Seven plays later, the Ravens would respond as Schuetz would find Harris for a second time in the game, this one from 14 yards, for a touchdown. Young's point after was good to make it 27-24 Patriots. After a three and out by UC, a nine play drive by Benedictine would end with Schuetz finding Aaron Jackson from five yards out to retake the lead at 31-27 with just over six minutes left. Cumberlands would answer though on a nine-play 75 yard drive that included two catches by Joronnie Hinton for 58 yards and 32 yards on the ground from Shelton, who capped off the drive with a one yard TD run to give the Patriots a 34-31 lead with three minutes remaining.
Benedictine would toss an interception as UC looked to run out the clock, but an untimely fumble would give the Ravens back the ball with just over a minute to play. A 35-yard field goal by Young would tie the game at 34-34 as the game would go to overtime.

UC would get the ball first and on the opening play, Shelton would scamper 25 yards into the endzone for a touchdown. McMillin's PAT was good pushing UC ahead 41-34 as Benedictine would get their chance. It would take five plays as Schuetz would find Jackson again for another TD on a second and goal from the eight yard line. Their point after was good to tie the game at 41 heading to double overtime.

The Ravens would nearly lose their chance at scoring as Charlie Nihart would fumble the ball away but would be recovered by Garrett Bader for Benedictine to give them a third and one. There, Nihart would get another chance and this time find pay dirt for a Ravens' score. The PAT was good, meaning UC would have to score a TD to tie to send it to a third overtime.

Cumberlands would get a first down immediately on a 13 yard run from Shelton. UC would then be faced with a fourth and two on the four yard line. There, John Owens would complete the pass on a tackle throwback to Adam Smith who got the yardage needed for a first down, but a well-placed helmet by a Benedictine defender would force a fumble that was recovered by the Ravens to give them the victory over the Patriots to move on to the NAIA FCS Quarterfinals.

Offensively, the Patriots garnered 463 yards on 77 plays. Two quarterbacks would split time on the day for the Patriots. Eric Forrest went 9-18 through the air for 149 yards and a touchdown with an interception. John Owens added 67 yards and a pair of scores on 4-9 passing. The rushing attack was placed on the shoulders of Milton Shelton who led the way with 193 yards on 32 carries with two touchdowns. Nyre Holden chipped in with 56 yards on 15 carries and a score. Ysidro snagged two passes for 54 yards and two scores while Shelton added two catches for 17 yards and a score. Hinton was the leading receiver for the Patriots with six catches for 128 yards.

Defensively, UC tallied seven tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, and a pair of pass breakups. Leading the way for UC was Tyler Pendleton with 15 total tackles (six solo) with 1.5 tackles for loss. Jay Woods added 11 tackles (seven solo) with a tackle for loss. Cole Genders also tallied nine tackles (two solo) with a tackle and a half for loss and a sack.

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