Tiffin lands first ever Super Region playoff berth

JaQuan Hardy and the Tiffin football team have punched their ticket to the Super Region playoffs.
JaQuan Hardy and the Tiffin football team have punched their ticket to the Super Region playoffs.
Posted: Nov 17, 2019

Tiffin University's football team made a bit of history on Nov. 17 as they landed their first ever selection to the NCAA Super Region playoffs.

The Dragons (9-1), seeded 7th in Super Region I, will take on 2nd-seeded Kutztown (10-1) on Nov. 23 at Andre Reed Stadium at 12 pm. It marks Tiffin's first trip to the collegiate postseason since 1994, and their first trip ever as an NCAA institution.

Kutztown has had a strong season, dropping their first game in the PSAC Championship game against top-seeded Slippery Rock 37-35. The Golden Bears were ranked 13th in the latest AFCA poll. This is just the third time in program history that the Bears have reached double figures in wins. 

Twelve first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions. In addition, one team per super regional has earned a first-round bye. The first-round winners will all advance to the second round with games on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Second-round winners will meet in the quarterfinals at various campus sites. Quarterfinal winners will advance to play in the semifinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Seven teams selected per super regional make up the field of 28 teams. 

Slippery Rock awaits the winner of Indiana (PA) (10-1) and Shepherd (9-2), while the winner of the Tiffin-Kutztown game will face the winner of 3rd-seeded Notre Dame (10-1) and West Chester (9-2).

KU ranks fourth in the PSAC in scoring offense (37.5 points per game) and total offense (446.9 yards per game), ranks second in the PSAC in rushing offense (192.3 yards per game) and fifth in passing offense (254.6 yards per game). Prior to playing Slippery Rock, Kutztown had allowed no more than 28 points (to Cal U in week two) in any game this season. KU ranks 4th in the PSAC in scoring defense (17.6 points per game), 4th in total defense (308.8 yards per game), 3rd in rushing defense (99.9 yards per game) and fifth in passing defense (208.9 yards per game).

The Dragon offense has been a machine in 2019, leading the conference in both points per game (44.4) and total yards per game (518.3). Those marks are also 9th and 6th in DII, respectively. Tiffin does it both on the ground and through the air, ranking 23rd nationally in passing offense at 269.3 yards per game and 15th in rushing offense at 249.0 yards per game. Tiffin also leads the GMAC in total defense (333.9 yards allowed per game) while standing second in scoring defense (20.8 points allowed per game). TU is first in the conference and is 21st nationally with 15 interceptions on the year.