Mitchell, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan Tigers fell short in a shootout with the No. 1 Red Raiders. The Tigers finished with 418 yards of offense compared to the Raiders 495 yards of offense. The key difference in the game was the Tigers’ three costly turnovers. Kiel Nelson had a career day on senior day with his eight catches for a career-high 147 yards and three scores. Jamin Arend gashed the Raiders all day with his 33 carries for 189 yards and a score. The Raiders came into the game only giving up 84 yards on the ground but were ran all over with Dakota Wesleyan’s 210 total yards on the ground. Northwestern stays perfect at 10-0 on the season while DWU drops to 6-4.
Game Notes
- Kiel Nelson– 8 catches, career-high 147 yards, tied career-high 3 TD
- Jamin Arend– 33 rushes, 189 yards, 1 TD
- Austin Lee– 17-22, 208 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
- Kale Stevenson– 9 total tackles
- Jaiden Walton– 8 total tackles, 1 Sack
- Hunter Cordell– 1 INT
Recap
The No. 1 ranked Red Raiders received the opening kickoff with the Tigers winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half. NWC moved the ball with ease on the Tiger defense compiling big chunk play after big chunk play. DWU showed some resistance late in the drive in the redzone like they have all year, but the Raiders were able to punch it in from two yards out. The Tigers in their first drive, like the Raiders, were moving the ball with ease on the NWC defense. DWU was doing it both on the ground with Jamin Arend and through the air with Austin Lee connecting with Cole Holden twice and a big completion to Kiel Nelson. With second and seven at the NWC 10 the Tigers were looking to even the score when Lee’s pass was picked off in the endzone for a touchback. Northwestern took full advantage of the turnover going six-plays, 80 yards in 3:06 for the score and making it 14-0 after the PAT.
Northwestern only grew on that 14 lead, putting two more scores on the board with Gramstad connecting on two passing touchdowns. The Tigers had the ball with just over six minutes left in the first half and faced a potential 28-point hole heading to the locker room if they didn’t get a scoring drive together. DWU did just that with a masterful nine play, 87-yard touchdown drive that was capped off on a 34-yard bomb from Austin Lee to Kiel Nelson. The score remained 28-7 at the half with DWU receiving the ball out of the locker room.
Dakota Wesleyan kept that momentum going with another big drive that was all Arend chunk runs getting the Tigers down in the NWC red zone. Facing a third and nine at the NWC, Lee found his favorite target again in the corner of the endzone for a touchdown. The Tigers cut the NWC lead to 14 after a converted extra point from Jaxon Patrick. Northwestern was looking to push that lead back to 21 when senior cornerback, Hunter Cordell had other plans when he undercut a deep out route and came up with the diving interception to give DWU the ball back. The Tigers didn’t take advantage and went three-and-out, giving the ball back with 4:14 in the third.
The Raiders on their ensuing drive found the endzone again making it 35-14. DWU wasn’t going away though as Lee connected with Nelson on 30-yard completion on the first play of their next drive. It was the cowbells were being rang all throughout the stadium and this was for the senior running Arend who put the team on his back the rest of the drive collecting seven carries for 45 yards and capped it off with a seven-yard touchdown plunge to cut the lead back to 14. Northwestern is the number one team in the country for a reason as they wasted no time finding the endzone again, making it 42-21. Lee was intercepted on the next drive and the Raiders only needed one play after the pick to get in the endzone and jump out to a 49-21 lead. With a little under six minutes left, the Tigers showed no quit and put together a massive 11 play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped off by seniors Lee and Nelson connecting for their third touchdown of the game for a 49-28 final.
Head-to-Head (Northwestern)
- Dakota Wesleyan falls to 4-20 all-time against Northwestern.
- The Tigers dropped last year’s matchup 54-7 at Northwestern.
Up Next
- Dakota Wesleyan football wraps up their 2023 regular season with a road matchup against the Dordt Defenders Saturday, November 11 with kickoff at 1 p.m. Dordt currently ranks No. 23 in the country with the next polls coming out Monday the 6th.