WASHINGTON, D.C. – Guilford College's Matt Pawlowski passed for a school-and Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)-record 611 yards in the Quakers' 52-49 league win at Catholic University of America Saturday. The senior also threw a personal-best seven touchdowns and compiled 648 total offensive yards in Guilford's fourth straight victory.
Pawlowski's 611 passing yards are the most in NCAA Division III this season and stand ninth in Division III history. His Guilford-best 648 total offensive yards rank fifth all-time in Division III. He matched his career-high with 37 completions, which stands 10th in school history. Pawlowski's 63 pass attempts were also a personal best and sixth-highest all-time at Guilford.
Catholic senior quarterback T.J. Tutone nearly matched Pawlowski in the high-scoring affair. The senior completed 39-of-54 passes for 394 yards and five scores. He also ran for a team-best 59 yards and a touchdown. Tutone's final scoring pass of the day, a four-yard completion to Billy Smith, came with 34 seconds left and provided the game's final margin.
Guilford's Adam Smith recovered the ensuing on-side kick near midfield. As the Cardinals had just two timeouts remaining, Pawlowski took a knee on three successive plays to run out the clock and secure the Quakers' second straight 7-1 start (4-1 ODAC).
Guilford's Tyler Hunt gave Guilford the lead for good 2:12 before halftime with a 26-yard field goal that made the score 22-21. His 31-yard field goal on the first half's final play sent the Quakers into halftime with a 25-21 edge.
Pawlowski threw touchdowns on each of the Quakers' first three second-half possessions. He threw the second of three touchdowns to Smith on the third-quarter's opening drive. After a Tutone to Billy Smith score, the Quakers answered on a strong second effort by Chad Christopher to score on a 21-yard completion from Pawlowski. Pawlowski's 15-yard strike to Daniel Woodruff late in the third quarter opened a 45-28 lead, Guilford's largest of the game.
The resilient Cardinals (3-5, 1-4 ODAC) twice rallied to within three points in the final quarter. Catholic's Dave Zarkoski became the first opponent to intercept Pawlowski this season, which stopped a Quakers' drive on Catholic's six-yard line. The theft setup Tutone's 17-yard scoring pass to Lucas Morley, which capped a nine-play, 92-yard scoring drive and made it a 45-42 game with 4:31 to play.
A 21-yard Christopher return, plus a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the ensuing kickoff put Guilford on Catholic's 29-yard line. Pawlowski needed four plays and 2:20 to find Smith from two yards out and restore the Quakers' 10-point lead.
Guilford's Smith made 12 catches for 142 yards and a career-high three scores. His final touchdown grab marked the 44th of his career and broke the ODAC's touchdown receptions record set by Catholic's Nick Bublavi from 2001-05. Smith leads Division III with a career-high 16 touchdowns this year, one shy of Junior Lord's school standard set in 1997. Christopher matched his career high with eight catches and had 147 yards and two scores, both personal bests. Austen Thompson, who caught a 66-yard scoring strike on Guilford's opening drive, finished with six receptions for 118 yards. Teammate De'Eric Bell contributed 240 all-purpose yards, including a game-high 74 rushing yards on 16 carries. Hunter Hoots was the team's top tackler (10) and Quan Austin recovered a fumble.
Tutone finished with 453 total offensive yards and was responsible for six of Catholic's seven touchdowns. Morley was his favorite target with a game-high 11 receptions for 98 yards and two scores. Billy Smith made four catches for 76 yards and three touchdowns.
Guilford hosts Hampden-Sydney College Saturday (11/7) at 1:00 p.m. in an ODAC game. Catholic visits unbeaten league-leader Washington and Lee University next Saturday.