Des Moines, Iowa — Instant Classic, check, Epic, check…Semifinal Bound, you bet!
Eli Stader converted a 21-yard field goal with 1:03 left and the Raider D stopped Grand View on fourth down in the final seconds to give No.6 Northwestern a thrilling 27-24 road win over No.2 Grand View in the NAIA Football Championship Series quarterfinals played today on Duke Williams Field in Des Moines, Iowa.
Northwestern, now 10-1 on the season, advances to play in the national semifinals for the eighth time in program history and first since the 2000 season. The Raiders will face top-ranked Morningside on Saturday, May 1 at a time TBA.
Tyson Kooima completed 24-of-34 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns against the No.1 passing and total defense in the NAIA, a defense that had not surrendered a 200-yard passing game all season. Kooima was named the game’s most valuable player on offense.
The Raider D continued its high level of play, limiting Grand View to a season-low 285 yards on offense, led by Trevor Rozeboom, who was named the game’s most valuable player on that side of the ball. Rozeboom shared game-high honors with Parker Fryar with 10 tackles, an interception and one quarterback sack for a safety at the start of the third quarter that changed the game’s momentum.
Both teams were forced to punt on their opening possessions and then it was Grand View that struck first with a 13-play, 65-yard drive, finished off with an acrobatic seven-yard touchdown catch by Brandon Martin in the corner of the endzone for a 7-0 lead. The Vikings made it 14-0 early in the second quarter when Avery Gates scored on a one-yard plunge with 9:21 left in the first half.
In dire need of a scoring drive of their own, Northwestern’s offense delivered as Kooima connected with Solberg on back-to-back plays to begin a five-play, 75-yard drive, finished off with a Konner McQuillan three-yard run to make the score 14-7. Neither team was able to put together an offensive drive of any kind during the final seven minutes of the first half.
Forced to punt on the opening possession of the third quarter, Northwestern punter Jaden Snyder pinned the Vikings back to their own four-yard line to start their first drive. On 3rd-and-six, Rozeboom made a game-changing play as he sacked Grand View quarterback Johnny Sullivan for a safety, making the score 14-9. After the Vikings free kick, Northwestern grabbed its first lead on a four-yard touchdown pass to Moser to finish off a five-play, 56-yard drive. Kooima converted the two-point conversion, giving his team a 17-14 lead with nine minutes left in the third.
Up three, Northwestern turned it over on the first play of the fourth quarter, setting up a short field at the Raiders 15-yard line for the Grand View offense. The Raider D held the Vikings to a 23-yard field goal by Nathan Hamilton, tying the game at 17.
The Raider offense answered right back as Kooima and Solberg hooked up for a 21-yard touchdown pass / catch to give their team back the lead, 24-17, with eight minutes left. With Grand View driving for a potential game-tying score, Rozeboom intercepted a Sullivan pass to give the Raider offense the ball back with the lead and only five minutes remaining.
Northwestern turned it over on its first play as Kooima was intercepted by Jianni Angulo at the Raider 49-yard line. Just one play later, the Vikings tied the score on a 49-yard touchdown to Martin, his second of the day.
Tied at 24, the Raider D forced Grand View into three straight incomplete pass attempts and a punt that Michael Storey fair caught at the Northwestern 13-yard line with 1:23 left in regulation. On first down, Kooima completed a short pass to Josh Fakkema, who broke the initial tackle and proceeded to run 78 yards down to the Vikings nine-yard line. Following three consecutive run plays to force Grand View to use its timeouts, Stader nailed the game-winner from 21-yards out.
Northwestern accounted for 406 yards on offense, most of which was through the air (379). Shane Solberg continues to add to his record-breaking numbers as a Raider, totaling a game-high 11 catches for 188 yards and a touchdown. Solberg now has eight 100-yard games this season, 22 for his career. Cade Moser caught seven passes for 55 yards and a score while Fakkema totaled three catches for a career-high 116 yards, including the career-long 78-yarder to set up the winning score.
The Raider D held the vaunted Grand View offense in check, limiting the Vikings to 285 total yards and just 74 rushing. Rozeboom and Fryar totaled 10 stops each and T.J. Jones contributed seven tackles, including a pair of TFLs. Fryar, Moser and Rozeboom all registered a quarterback sack.
Sullivan led Grand View with 211 passing yards and two scores; Martin caught four passes for 81 yards and the two touchdowns.
