Sioux Center, Iowa — Tyson Kooima threw for a career-high five touchdowns in leading Northwestern to a 48-40 shootout win over Dordt in a conference match-up played this afternoon at Open Space Park in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Northwestern stayed perfect against the Defenders, improving to 13-0 all-time, and handed their Sioux-County counterpart to its first loss of the season. The Raiders improve to 2-1 this fall heading into its bye week.
Kooima completed 17-of-27 pass attempts for 290 yards and a career-best five touchdowns. The senior moved into second place all-time with 82 career touchdown passes, moving past Lee McKinstrey (1980-83) and just away from matching the record of 84 set by Curtis Krull (1970-73). Kooima’s five touchdown passes this afternoon is tied for the second most in a single game by a Raider quarterback (Davis Bloemendaal threw for seven TD’s vs Midland in 2013).
Both Cade Moser and Shane Solberg were on the receiving end of two touchdown passes while Michael Storey caught one, an 18-yard strike that put Northwestern in front 42-24 late in the third quarter. Storey was the team leader with 93 receiving yards and shared team-high honors, along with Moser, with five catches.
Northwestern scored on its first two possessions and opened up a 14-0 lead against the unbeaten Defenders. A Kooima to Moser 35-yard touchdown pass completed a six-play, 66-yard drive on the team’s initial possession. The Raiders forced Dordt to punt on its opening drive and Head Coach Matt McCarty’s squad began a nine-play, 86-yard drive that resulted in a Kooima to Solberg touchdown from seven yards out at the six-minute mark of the first quarter.
Dordt reached the endzone on consecutive drives and tied the game at 14 early in the second quarter after Noah Clayberg scored on a 49-yard run. Northwestern’s offense came back with another long, impressive drive (7 play, 75 yards), finished off with a Drake Brezina one-yard run, for a 21-14 lead. Back came the Defenders on as Carter Schiebout finished off a five-play, 40-yard drive with the first of his two touchdown runs, tying the score at 21. Northwestern scored the final touchdown in a back and forth first half when Kooima connected with Moser for the second time, a six-yard strike, to put the Raiders up at halftime, 28-21.
The Raider D came up with a big stop on Dordt’s first offensive series of the second half as Noah Van’t Hof tackled Raphael Carr at the two-yard line on 4th-and-goal. Despite the poor field position, Northwestern’s offense marched 98 yards on just five plays and surged ahead 35-21 on a Kooima-to-Solberg three-yard scoring toss.
Defender kicker Brett Zachman converted a 33-yard field goal with 3:40 left in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 35-24. Northwestern’s offense, however, needed only three plays and 79 seconds to score again as Kooima found Storey for a 16-yard touchdown pass to put his team back in front, 42-24. Dordt scored the final touchdown of the third quarter on a five-play, 68-yard drive, capped by another Schiebout run. The Defenders two-point conversion attempt failed, making the score 42-30 heading into the fourth quarter.
Both defenses came up with stops early in the final quarter; Dordt’s defense forced the only turnover of the game when they recoverd a Kooima fumble at the Defendes 29-yard line. Dordt’s offense capitalized as Clayberg finished off a 71-yard drive with a two-yard run to make the score 42-37 with 9:40 left.
In need of a long, time-consuming drive, Northwestern produced as they went on a decisive 10-play, 68-yard drive that used up nearly six minutes and finished off with Logan Meyer eight-yard touchdown run. Dordt added a late field goal but its subsequent onside kick attempt went out-of-bounds, clinching the game for the Raiders.
The teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense and 61 first downs. Northwestern gained 446 yards (156 rush, 290 passing) and totaled 24 first downs. Kooima rushed 13 times for 67 yards, followed by Konner McQuillan (9 carries, 46yds) and Meyer (5 carries, 44yds).
Defensively, Parker Fryar totaled a career-high 16 tackles and Van’t Hof accounted for nine. Morris Hofer added eight stops in his first career start and Jalyn Gramstad had six tackles.
Dordt totaled 592 yards on offense, led by Clayberg, both on the ground (207yds, 2 TD) and passing (248yds). Schiebout added 40 rushing yards and two scores; Levi Jungling caught 10 passes for 124 yards.
