DIVISION I-AA WKU downs McNeese for title

The Hilltoppers avenged an earlier loss to the Cowboys.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Western Kentucky completed a remarkable turnaround by winning its first Division I-AA football championship, avenging an early loss by defeating McNeese State 34-14 Friday night.
Jon Frazier ran for two touchdowns and Jeremi Johnson caught a TD pass for Hilltoppers, who were 2-3 after a 38-13 loss to McNeese State on Sept. 28.
Western Kentucky won its final six games to reach the playoffs. Seeded 15th out of 16 teams, the Hilltoppers won three in a row to set up a rematch against the top-seeded Cowboys.
The only other loss for McNeese State (13-2) this season was at Nebraska. In 1997, the Cowboys lost to Youngstown State in their first championship game.
Western Kentucky players and fans rushed onto the field and jumped on the word "Championship" painted onto an adjacent hillside. A few minutes later, fans toppled the goal post and carried it around the stadium.
Frazier ran for 159 yards on 27 carries, his third straight 100-yard game and ninth of the season.
Taking control
The Hilltoppers (12-3) weren't about to let McNeese State beat them a second time this season, taking a 24-6 lead early in the third quarter.
The Cowboys trailed at halftime of all three playoffs games and scored 19 points last week in the fourth quarter to beat Villanova.
Western Kentucky stifled another comeback by scoring immediately after McNeese State cut the lead to 24-14 in the third quarter.
Behind Johnson's block, quarterback Jason Michael kept the ball and ran 2 yards for a touchdown and a 31-14 lead with 13:49 remaining.
McNeese State drove to the Western Kentucky 9 on the ensuing possession, but a holding penalty pushed the Cowboys back to third-and-goal at the 19. Western Kentucky's Arthur Wilson then blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt.
Johnson, a 275-pound fullback, hauled in a pass from Michael for a 49-yard gain to the McNeese State 14 to set up Frazier's touchdown run on the next play for a 24-6 lead.
Johnson had three catches for 90 yards. Michael, mostly an option quarterback, finished 6-for-10 for a career-high 185 yards.
Western Kentucky went ahead 14-0 on the first play of the second quarter when Frazier burst through the middle of the line and ran 55 yards to the end zone.
Peter Martinez kicked field goals of 40 and 23 for Western Kentucky, the last coming after Corey Shaw intercepted a pass from McNeese State backup Ryan Corcoran in the fourth quarter.