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EPHRAIM- The No. 1 ranked Snow College football team will be playing for a National Championship Dec. 1 in Salt Lake following a 45-14 blowout win over New Mexico Military Saturday in Ephraim.
The Badgers scored 38 unanswered points after falling behind in the first half for the win. The win caps a perfect 11-0 season for Snow.
After Snow running back Niu Takai scored on a 13-yard run in the first quarter, New Mexico scored two rushing touchdowns of its own to take a 14-7 lead. The Badgers answered back with another 13-yard touchdown for Takai and a Soni Sotele score to make it 21-14 at half.
The second half was all Badgers with Joe Phillips adding a field goal before Sotele ran for his second touchdown of the game. Takai and Sotele each added another touchdown to give Snow the 45-14 victory.
"We had a great game on the ground," said head coach Steve Coburn. "To have two backs with three touchdowns each says something."
Coburn said the Badger defense stepped up big in the second half, introducing more blitzing to keep New Mexico Military off balance.
Takai finished with 157 yards and Sotele added 106 for the Badgers. Snow quarterback John Eastman went 18-26 for 225 yards.
The Badger defense held New Mexico - the No. 2 rushing team in the country - to 152 yards on the ground.
The win insures Snow will be playing for a National Championship Dec. 1 at the Zions Bank Top of The Mountains Bowl in Salt Lake City. Snow's opponent will not be set until Monday or Tuesday.
"Our guys deserve this and have earned it," said Coburn. The undefeated season is Snow's fourth overall. The Badgers won the National Junior College Championship in 1985.
