Box Score
 
BETHANY, Okla. — Let the celebration begin; Southern Nazarene University is the 2011 Central States Football League Champions after No. 15 SNU took down No. 19 Langston, 38-34, to secure the league title and the school's first bid to the NAIA Championship Series.
 
The Crimson Storm (9-2, 4-1 CSFL) increased their school-record for wins and set the school-record for most wins in a conference season as well.
 
“It's such an emotional high because you work so hard and grind through a season and fight just to get there,” said SNU Head Coach Mike Cochran. “There's no feeling like it.”
 
The final game of the regular season couldn't have painted a better picture of the entire season for the Storm. SNU got up quickly on the Lions (7-3, 4-1 CSFL) just like they started the season with a flurry of five straight wins. The Storm then watched Langston scored 27 straight to lead 27-19 at the half and it felt like the middle of the season when SNU dropped back-to-back games and moved into the second half the season. The Storm though closed out the night just as strong as they closed out the season and held on for the victory.
 
“Against good teams the ups and downs of a game will happen,” said Cochran. “You're going to have to battle for every inch you can get and we did that today.”
 
Brady Wardlaw threw for 332 yards on 19-of-32 passing and threw for five touchdowns for just the second time this season. Terrence Smith had the game of his early career as he totaled 127 yards and two touchdowns on six catches. It was the most receiving yards of any receiver in a single-game all season and set a career-high for Smith. Four different receivers pulled in a touchdown catch and seven different receivers caught passes.
 
“Terrence has come a long way,” said Cochran. “He's fun to have around and has made some big plays for us the past two weeks. He just keeps getting better each week.”
 
Wardlaw also hit a couple of milestones as he went over 10,000 yards in total offense, 9,000 passing yards and 100 passing touchdowns in his career.
 
“Brady is a guy that people have confidence in because he's a humble leader and he's proven he can get the job done,” said Cochran. “He went out and played this game like he always does. He's a playmaker.”
 
Langston loaded up on the run and held the Storm to minus-14 yards rushing the entire game. The SNU defense held the Lions to under 300 yards as LU totaled 294 yard with 106 coming on the ground and 188 through the air. Johnathan Jenkins-Dill led the way on the defensive side with seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Michael Hicks also had nine tackles.
 
“Except for one big run, we really shut their run game down,” said Cochran. “They have a great running back (Carlos Ross) and we kept him in check.”
 
Shawn Mingledorff put SNU on the board on the first drive of the game with a 30-yard field goal before Wardlaw hit Jordan Newby on the first play of ensuing drive for a 40-yard strike to make it 10-0 with 6:10 left in the first.
 
The Storm got a gift on Langston's next drive when an errant snap on a punt bounced out of the back of the end zone for a safety to give SNU a 12-0 lead. The Storm went on top 19-0 when Wardlaw hit Jarod Martin for a 25-yard touchdown pass to complete a 6-play, 40-yard drive.
 
The momentum did a complete 180 in the second quarter as Langston totaled 152 yards in the second quarter along as they it racked up 27 points to take a 27-19 lead into the half.
 
The Storm rallied late in the third as Wardlaw and Smith connected on back-to-back touchdowns that gave SNU at 32-27 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Wardlaw then capped the night with a 6-yard pass to David Balenseifen to give the Storm a 38-27 advantage. The touchdown was set up first by Jenkins-Dill who forced a fumble on the Langston 40-yard line before Hicks jumped on the ball to give it back to SNU. Wardlaw then hit Smith for a 36-yard pass before Balenseifen closed out the drive.
 
The Lions cut it to 38-34 with 6:38 to play and then got the ball back with 5:11 left with an interceptions. Langston went three-and-out and punted to SNU, but the Storm got three first downs on the drive and ran out the clock from there.
 
SNU will now await the NAIA Championship Pairings that will be announced, Sunday, at 2 p.m. (CST).