Alma, Mich. - Host Alma, scored a defensive touchdown on the game's first play and the Tigers played catch up the rest of the game before falling to the Scots, 32-17, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Championship.

DePauw, ranked 21st in the latest coaches' poll, finished its season at 10-1, while Alma, ranked 11th in the coaches' poll and 16th by D3football.com, improved to 11-0 and advanced to next Saturday's second round to face Mount Union.

After a touchback on the opening kickoff, DePauw handed the ball to Gabe Quigley on the game's first play and Odin Soffredine forced a fumble that Jerome Roberson scooped up at the DePauw 21 and took it all the way for a score. Gage Krueger then scored the two-point conversion to give the hosts an 8-0 lead just nine seconds into the contest.

The teams then exchanged punts before the Tigers embarked on a 16-play, 64 yard drive that consumed 8:45. DePauw converted a fourth down near midfield on Gus Baumgartner's short run and was forced into another fourth down before Nathan McCahill tossed a 2-yard pass to Robby Ballentine to make it 8-7 with 3:12 left in the opening frame.

The Scots responded quickly as Eddie Williams picked up 17 and 14 rushing yards, respectively, on the first two plays of the next series. A pass interference call later on the Tigers moved the ball to the DePauw 15 and Jordan Williams scored one play later on a 13-yard run to make it 15-7 with 1:11 left in the quarter.

DePauw was forced to punt after a three-and-out early in the second and Ben Gomez boomed a 72-yarder for a touchback and a holding penalty pushed the ball back to the Alma 10. The Scots drove 90 yards in 11 plays with quarterback Carter St. John scoring on a 7-yard run to expand the lead to 22-7 with 9:43 left in the half.

The Tigers, however, answered with Gus Baumgartner's 9-yard run with 4:54 remaining in the half to cut the Scots' lead to 22-14. DePauw's defense then got a stop and forced Alma to punt. McCahill's third down pass was picked off by Preston Marlatt at the DePauw 34 and taken back for an apparent score, but an illegal block in the back nullified the score. Alma eventually had to settle for a 36-yard field from Joshua Hernandez as time expired to make it 25-14.

Gomez landed a punt at the Alma 5 early in the third and the DePauw defense shut the Scots down inside their 10 forcing a punt. DePauw then took over at the Scots 34. McCahill's first down pass to Robby Ballentine covered 27 yards and a Baumgartner 3-yard run moved it to the 4, but the drive stalled there and Joseph Sullivan booted a 22-yard field goal to cut Alma's lead to 25-17.

It took Alma just five plays to respond as St. John found Devon Frenchko over the middle for a 66-yard pass play which expanded the lead to 32-17 with 6:45 remaining in the third. 

DePauw was unable to convert a fourth-and-one on its next series, but Alma couldn't capitalize and punted the ball back to the Tigers. 

Starting on its own 16 with 3:15 left in the third, DePauw converted four straight third downs to move the ball into Alma territory. The Tigers drove to the Alma 14 after McCahill completed an 8-yard pass to Quigley. Two incomplete passes followed before McCahill was sacked for an 8-yard loss on third down and another incomplete pass on fourth down turned the ball back over to Alma.

Later in the fourth, McCahill was sacked on fourth down and Alma was poised to score on the next play, but Frenchko fumbled and the Tigers recovered in the end zone for a touchback. DePauw couldn't take advantage as McCahill was again sacked on fourth down. The Tigers did get the ball back with less than one minute left and drove to the Alma 6 but couldn't punch it in.

Baumgartner rushed for 48 yards on 11 carries and Caden Whitehead totaled 37 on 16 tries. Eddie Williams rushed for 76 yards on 11 carries and Jordan Williams finished with 64 on 18 tries.

McCahill completed 32-of-55 passes for 280 yards with St. John going 10-of-19 for 153 yards.

Ballentine led DePauw with 11 catches for 137 yards and Quigley caught eight for 44. Frenchko hauled in three for 96 yards.

Tommy Ryan totaled 11 tackles and Ethan Lowry had eight, while Joey Roland had the lone sack. Gage Nelson recorded 17 tackles including 2.5 for loss along with two breakups to lead Alma. Soffredine followed with 12 tackles and Drew Humm added 10.

DePauw ougained Alma, 372-325, had a 24-11 edge in first downs and led in time of possession 37:36-22:24. The Tigers also ran 96 plays to Alma's 58.

NOTES

• DePauw held Alma to season lows for points, first downs and total offense
• McCahill's 32 completions and 55 attempts were career highs
• DePauw broke single-season program records for points (463), touchdown passes (33) and touchdowns (63)
• McCahill's 30 touchdown passes tied the school record set by Michael Engle in 2010
• DePauw's 10 wins were a school record and the final