Dordt hosts Keiser (Florida) on Thursday, August 29 in a non-conference football game kicking off at 7:00 pm
Dordt was 7-3 last season and 6-3 in the GPAC, finishing third in the league and the Defenders ended the year with a 4-1 record over five games.
The Defender offense proved to be potent with 252 yards rushing, 172 yards passing and 425 yards of total offense. The defense allowed 414 yards per game with 183 allowed on the ground and 230 in the air. Dordt’s defense forced 19 turnovers while the offense had 18. The Dordt secondary had 15 interceptions in its ten games.
Keiser is a member of the Mid-South Conference and posted a 6-4 record last season. Two of the Seahawks losses came by six points or less and another was by ten points to end the season against Southeastern which won the Sun Division of the Conference. Keiser was involved in several close games over the course of its first varsity football season and was 5-3 in games decided by 10 points or less and 4-2 in games decided by one score or less.
Keiser’s 2018 team ran for 148 yards per game and allowed 165 on the ground. In the air the Seahawks passed for 165 and allowed 167. The defense forced 25 turnovers and the offense gave up 22. The Seahawks were especially adept on pass defense with 17 pass interceptions. The Seahawks allowed 22 points per game and scored 21.6.
The Dordt Defenders are no. 24 in the NAIA Preseason poll after finishing 2018 no. 23. The Mustangs from Morningside, defending national champions, are the preseason no. 1 pick and Benedictine (Kansas) is no. 2. Other familiar names are Northwestern at no. 11 and Grand View is no. 12.
Dordt is back at home in a little over a week to face Waldorf in another 7:00 kickoff to finish the non-conference portion of the schedule. Dordt’s 11-game schedule features seven home games with road trips to Morningside, Jamestown, Doane and Hastings.
Keiser goes on the road to North Carolina to face St. Andrews on September 7 before returning home to face Reinhardt on September 21.
