No.5 Northwestern lost to top-ranked Morningside 45-31 in a thrilling and highly competitive season opener played in front of thousands of fans at Elwood Olsen Stadium.
Both the Raiders and Mustangs feature offenses that are projected to be among the NAIA’s best and tonight’s game had plenty of big plays on the offensive side; the teams combined for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Northwestern had a slight edge in both first downs (23-21) and total yards (592-522) but Morningside won the turnover battle (4-1).
Tyson Kooima, the reigning GPAC Offensive Player of the Year, threw for a career-best 447 yards, completing 21-of-34 pass attempts, and one touchdown. Kooima also led the Raiders in rushing with 20 carries for 114 yards another score, showcasing his dual-threat skills. Both Cade Moser (8 catches, 132 yards) and Shane Solberg (6 catches, 162 yards) surpassed 100 yards receiving and Josh Fakkema caught two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Trailing 24-21 at halftime, Northwestern tied the game after Eli Stader converted a 17-yard field goal with 6:42 left in the third quarter. The Raiders drove down to the one yard line after Kooima connected with Konner McQuillan for a 57-yard pass but had to settle for the game-tying field goal. The Raider D then forced Morningside to punt on its next possession and two plays later, McQuilllan scored on a nine-yard run to give Head Coach Matt McCarty’s squad its only lead, 31-24, with 4:39 left in the third. The scoring drive was set up by a 44-yard Kooima to Solberg pass and catch.
Morningside, however, marched down the field, going 75 yards on seven plays, to tie the score at 31 on an 8-yard touchdown pass and catch from Joe Dolincheck to Reed Jurgensmeier at the end of the quarter. The Raiders missed on a chance to retake the lead early in the fourth quarter when Stader’s 35-yard field goal attempt was blocked. Both teams turned it over on their next possessions; Jake Lynot intercepted a Dolincheck pass at the Raiders 31-yard line and Morningside recovered a fumble to end a promising Northwestern drive at the Mustangs 17-yard line.
The Mustangs then began their game-winning drive, going 74 yards on six plays and ending with another Dolincheck to Jurgensmeier touchdown at the eight minute mark. Northwestern drove down to the Mustangs 30-yard line but an interception at the goalline twarted the potential game-tying score. Morningside added a late touchdown run by Anthony Sims with 90 seconds left.
McQuillan had quite a debut in a Raider uniform, scoring on a pair of rushing touchdowns and totaling 92 yards of offense. Noah Van’t Hof led the Raider D with a career-best 13 tackles while Brett Moser totaled 11 stops, one shy from matching his career high. Jake Lynot added eight tackles and recorded the lone turnover for the Raider D with an interception. Parker Fryar came up with six tackles.
Dolincheck as the catalyst of the Mustangs offense, throwing for 364 yards and three scores. Both Jurgensmeier and Austin Johnson caught nine passes for 189 and 101 yards, respectively. A.P. Ponder rushed 22 times for 122 yards and two scores.
Morningside led 14-0 just four minutes in; a Dolincheck to Johnson three-yard touchdown pass finished off the opening drive and, following a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Ponder ran it in from nine-yards out. Northwestern came right back with its first score on a five-yard run by Kooima only to have Mustangs cap the first quarter scoring with a 37-yard field goal by Chase Carter.
An eight-yard run by McQuillan midway in the second frame cut the Mustangs lead down to three, 17-14. Ponder scampered in from one yard out on Morningside’s next drive and led 24-14 with 4:30 left in the first half. Northwestern then began a nine-play, 79-yard drive, finished off with a Kooima to Fakkema six-yard touchdown pass to make the halftime score 24-21.
