DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Nick Ferrer threw three touchdown passes to Seth Coate, and Saint Francis of Indiana beat previously undefeated Baker of Kansas 38-17 on Saturday night to win the NAIA championship.
Coate, a 6-foot-4 senior, caught nine passes for 180 yards, including second-half touchdown receptions of 59 and 36 yards. The last one put the Cougars (13-1) up 31-10 with 12:21 left. Baker finished 14-1.
Ferrer completed 18 of 30 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns, finishing his junior season with 51 TD passes.
Logan Brettell, who had helped Baker overcome a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter of its semifinal win over Eastern Oregon, was 34-for-50 for 263 yards and a touchdown, marking the only time this season he has not accounted for at least two touchdowns.
St. Francis led 17-3 at halftime against a team that had averaged 49.9 points in its 14 victories.
After opening the game with an 11-play drive that ended in Clarence Clark's 26-yard field goal, the Wildcats did not score again until the middle of the third quarter.
St. Francis responded to the opening score with a 56-yard touchdown drive to take the lead, and the Cougars never gave it up. Ferrer's 5-yard touchdown pass to Coate finished the drive.