SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Dakota Wesleyan Football traveled to the historic Elwood Olsen Stadium to face the seventh-ranked Mustangs in GPAC action.
The Mustangs had won three straight games since losing their first GPAC contest and came into the game tied with DWU for second place in the standings. The seventh-ranked team in the country came out of the gates ready to go, forcing two quick DWU punts and capitalizing with touchdowns on both to jump out to an early 14-0 lead. Another Morningside score came minutes later after a DWU turnover, and the score was 21-0 after one quarter. The Mustang defense continued to stifle the Tiger attack, while their offense was capitalizing on opportunities as the game progressed. DWU’s offense finally got rolling late in the second quarter but missed a 37-yard field goal to put points on the board.
The Dakota Wesleyan defense responded with an interception by Trevor Sladky alongside a solid return to set up the Tigers. This was the defense’s 13th interception of the season, which continues to tie the lead in the NAIA. On a crucial third down for the offense on the ensuing drive, Jed Jenson connected with Chase McGillivary for 38 yards and set up the Tigers at the one-yard line, which Landon Iverson cashed in on shortly after to put the Tigers on the board. At halftime, the score was in Morningside’s favor at 35-7.
DWU’s defense forced a Mustang punt on the first drive out of the half and was able to turn it into a scoring drive with a touchdown pass from Jenson to Caleb Kilbride. Morningside responded with a touchdown of their own, but Dakota Wesleyan would swing right back, marching 80 yards down the field in under three minutes, and capped the drive off with another touchdown pass to Kilbride, marking his eighth of the season.
The Mustangs continued to control the pace of the game as it slowed down in the second half. A forced fumble from Weston Wollberg got the offense in a good spot to add points to the scoreboard, but the offense would stall out in opposing territory. The Mustangs would tack on another touchdown before the contest was over, putting the final tally at 56-20, moving Dakota Wesleyan to 3-3 on the season and 3-2 in GPAC play.
Jenson finished the game with 236 yards, two passing touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was also the Tigers’ leading rusher, carrying the ball 11 times for 26 yards. Kilbride (six catches, 90 yards and two touchdowns), Sean DeBlieck (six catches for 88 yards), and McGillivary (three catches for 50 yards) all led the aerial attack for DWU.
Sladky had 11 total tackles to pace the team, along with his fourth interception of the season, which leads the defense. Ashton Munsell and Tayden Nave also contributed a handful of tackles, with nine and eight recorded, respectively. Reed Rus picked up a sack, which was his sixth of the season, as well as Jestin Bayer, who got his second.
DWU Football will be back in action on Saturday, October 10th, for the team’s homecoming matchup against the Concordia Bulldogs at 1:30 PM in Mitchell.