EL DORADO, Kan. — On the game-clinching play, perhaps it was fitting that 300-pound Iowa Western defensive lineman Elijah James found himself in pass coverage.

On fourth-and-2 at the Reiver 47 with 1:27 remaining, Butler made a reverse pitch to Kyle Parks, who was trying to throw it back to quarterback Trae Self, who was open.

James saw it coming.

"I knew something was up,'' James said. "So when I saw him rolling out, I just tried to stay with him.''

Atlias Bell and Willie O'Hara pressured Parks, who underthrew Self as the 6-foot-4 James desperately tried to use his big body to his advantage."I guess I did,'' he said. "I saw it was (underthrown). I just tried to move out of the way to make sure I didn't get a pass-interference call.''

Put in some difficult spots, Iowa Western's defense came through time and again, and the No. 3 Reivers kept their national championship hopes alive with a gritty 19-14 victory over No. 12 Butler on Saturday at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.

Iowa Western (8-1) had lost its previous two games at the home of the six-time national champions.

"For a few minutes there, I was thinking that I was cursed at this place,'' Iowa Western coach Scott Strohmeier said. "I'm just so happy for our guys, my staff. Them battling through and all that we've been through in the last week. They just kept fighting.''

Butler (7-3) took its first lead with 6:33 left in the game when Self sneaked in from the 1 to cap a 79-yard drive.

At that point, the Reivers had been held scoreless for more than 35 minutes. But quarterback T.J. Starks embraced the opportunity.

"They left us six minutes on the clock, and that was more than enough time for us to score,'' he said."We just had to keep our composure and play Iowa Western football. Defense, they had our backs the whole game. We told them we were going to have their backs.''

Iowa Western immediately faced third-and-10, but an offsides penalty made it third-and-5, and Marcell Barbee made a spectacular 23-yard catch against double coverage.

Later on third-and-7, Nyfease West powered for a 15-yard gain. Five plays later,

Starks ran it in from the 5 to give the Reivers a 19-14 lead with 3:13 remaining.

"We came through,'' Starks said. "It really feels great when you can put in the hours and see it come all together at the end.''

Two interceptions, a lost fumble and a muffed punt gave Butler possession four times in Reiver territory: at the 9, the 24, the 16 and the 47. On all four occasions, the Grizzlies failed to score a point.

"We put our defense in some bad spots,'' Strohmeier said. "They answered. The motto was, 'Do whatever it takes.'''

Iowa Western took charge early in the game thanks to a pair of Starks-to-Nick Singleton touchdown passes. The first one opened the scoring late in the first quarter and covered 15 yards, with Singleton carrying defenders the final few yards.