Northwestern College put on an impressive show in its Monday Night Football debut as they defeated the University of Jamestown 49-0 in the final game of the fall season for both teams.
The Raiders earned their eighth consecutive win and close the fall portion of the season with an 8-1 record as they await the start of postseason play in the spring. Jamestown ends the year with a 1-7 mark.
Northwestern continued to showcase one of the best and balanced offenses in the NAIA, totaling 533 yards, 226 rushing and 307 through the air. Tyson Kooima was efficient, completing 15-of-21 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns in just three quarters. Shane Solberg added to his long list of highlight reel games, catching eight passes for 143 yards and three more touchdowns, putting up GPAC Player of the Week numbers. Solberg has seven 100-yard games and six multiple touchdown games this season. Michael Story went over 100 yards receiving for the second time this season, totaling five catches for 110 yards, and Kobe Lutjens caught a career-best three passes for 44 yards and his first career touchdown.
The Raider D limited Jamestown to 150 yards and posted its first shutout since the 2015 season (vs Briar Cliff). Northwestern registered four quarterback sacks and had one interception. Special teams excelled as well as Garrett Packer blocked a Jamestown punt in the third quarter that Bryce Palsen recovered in the endzone for a touchdown. Eli Stader was a perfect 7-for-7 on extra-point attempts.
Following a Jamestown punt on its opening drive, Northwestern marched down the field with a 12-play, 81-yard drive finished off with a three-yard touchdown pass from Kooima to Solberg for a 7-0 lead. The duo connected again early in the second quarter, on a perfectly thrown, 26-yard scoring pass to push the score to 14-0. The Raider D forced Jamestown to punt again and the third and final touchdown pass from Kooima to Solberg completed a 6-play, 57-yard drive with 2:18 left to make the halftime score 21-0.
Northwestern scored on its opening drive of the second half when Kooima found Lutjens wide open in the corner of the endzone for a two-yard score. Forced to punt on its first possession, Packer broke through to block the Izaak Myles kick and Paulsen recovered to put the Raiders up 35-0 with eight minutes left in the third. Logan Meyer scored on a one-yard run later in the third quarter and Blake Fryar completed the scoring with a three-yard scamper in the fourth.
Konner McQuillan, one of nine different ball carriers used by the Raiders, paced the rushing attack with 13 carries for 76 yards. Both Meyer (31yards) and Drake Brezina (35) totaled eight carries each.
Brett Moser led the Raider D with seven tackles and one quarterback sack; Parker Fryar contributed six stops and Noah Van’t Hof totaled three tackles and an interception. Peyton Nieuwsma, Mitchell Rentschler both had one quarterback sack and Lorenzo Jones and Drake Harder combined for one as well.
Jamestown was led by running back Josiah Cage with 11 carries for 65 yards; the Jimmies passing game was limited to a mere 80 yards, 37 of which came from a successful fake punt from Myles to Parker Hager.
Northwestern will find out its playoff opponent in the spring.
