GEORGETOWN, Ky - Georgetown College built a mountain it could not overcome. The No. 1 Tigers (10-1) had six turnovers, four in the second half and still had a last gasp Saturday against No. 18 Bethel University (9-3) before losing 45-44 in the NAIA Football Championship Series First Round.

Neal Pawsat was leading the GC drive late in the fourth, trailing 39-37. A third down pass was picked off, but then the Bethel defender decided to lateral the ball with less than a minute to play and the lead. The lateral hit the turf and bounced to another Wildcat, Darian Jones.
Blake Naylor grabbed Jones and ripped the ball away for GC ball inside Bethel’s 20. Several plays later Logan Osborne broke free for the score and the Alex Kreimer extra point made it 45-44 GC with 30-plus seconds left.

The Tigers then kicked it off to Jahron Reynolds who went 92-yards for the score and the win, Bethel’s seventh-straight.