The participants of the 2015 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2015 Division II Playoffs, which began with four 7-team brackets to determine super region champions, who then qualified for the national semifinals.[2] The game featured the winners of those national semifinal games: No. 1 seed Shepherd and No. 1 seed Northwest Missouri State. This was the first meeting between the teams.[3] This was the Bearcats' ninth championship game appearance, having won 4, while the Rams were making their first appearance.[4]
2015 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 1 Northwest Missouri State |
7 |
17 |
3 | 7 | 34 |
| No. 1 Shepherd |
0 |
0 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
at Children's Mercy Park • Kansas City, Kansas
- Date: Saturday, December 19, 2015
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST (3:00 p.m. CST)
- Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: 16 mph
- Game attendance: 16,181
- Referee: Edwin Lee
- TV: ESPN2
- Sources:[5]
| Game information
|
- First Quarter
- (14:13) NWMS – Jordan Grove 1 yard rush, Simon Mathiesen kick (Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:33; Northwest Missouri State 7–0)
- Second Quarter
- (6:44) NWMS – Brady Bolles 1 yard pass to Shane Williams, Simon Mathiesen kick (Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:52; Northwest Missouri State 14–0)
- (0:38) NWMS – Simon Mathiesen 30 yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 3:42; Northwest Missouri State 17–0)
- (0:20) NWMS – Bryce Enyard 59 yard interception return, Simon Mathiesen kick (Northwest Missouri State 24–0)
- Third Quarter
- (9:49) SHEP – Jeff Ziemba 21 yard pass to Billy Brown, Ryan Earls kick (Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:36; Northwest Missouri State 24–7)
- (4:33) NWMS – Simon Mathiesen 22 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 5:09; Northwest Missouri State 27–7)
- Fourth Quarter
- (8:47) NWMS – Jordan Grove 1 yard rush, Simon Mathiesen kick (Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:45; Northwest Missouri State 34–7)
|
| Statistics |
NWMS |
SHEP
|
| First downs |
20 |
7
|
| Plays–yards |
70–462 |
44–97
|
| Rushes–yards |
42–184 |
28–(–39)
|
| Passing yards |
278 |
136
|
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int |
21–28–0 |
11–16–1
|
| Time of possession |
34:14 |
25:46
|
| Team |
Category |
Player |
Statistics
|
| Northwest Missouri State |
Passing |
Brady Bolles |
20/27, 223 yards, 1 TD
|
| Rushing |
Phil Jackson |
21 carries, 109 yards
|
| Receiving |
Jordan Grove |
5 receptions, 104 yards
|
| Shepherd |
Passing |
Jeff Ziemba |
11/16, 136 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
|
| Rushing |
Allen Cross |
11 carries, 27 yards
|
| Receiving |
Billy Brown |
6 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD
|
