Top offensive and defensive units to square off in Mitchell

MITCHELL, S.D. – If you're looking for a true offensive and defensive battle, than Joe Quintal Field is the place to be when No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan University battles No. 24 Concordia University for a Great Plains Athletic Conference showdown at 1 p.m. Saturday in Mitchell, S.D.

 Backed by junior quarterback Dillon Turner (Salem, Ark.) who ranks No. 1 in the NAIA in total offensive yards per game, the Tigers will lean on a strong offensive attack against the Bulldogs. The Tiger offense enters Saturday's contest as a top-5 team in total offensive yards per game with 543. DWU also holds a plethora of top-10 rankings on the offensive side of the ball, including No. 5 in first downs with 26, No. 8 in rushing offense per game with 266 and No. 10 in total scoring offense (235) and No. 10 in scoring offense per game (39).

 Senior Dustin Livingston (Irene, S.D.) has been Turner's favorite target as of late, hauling in 33 catches for 556 yards and six touchdowns. On the ground sophomore Jonny Withrow (Kimball, Neb.) is second on the team in rushing yards behind Turner with 339 yards on 67 attempts and four scores.

It won't be an easy task, however, as the Bulldog defense, ranked No. 7 in the NAIA, only allows 285 yards of offense to its opponents. Michael Hedlund leads the team with 72 total tackles, good for 12^th place in the tackles per game category. Hedlund has three tackles for loss, two interceptions and a forced fumble to his name in the 2016 season. Trey Barnes is another asset to the Concordia defense, racking up 41 tackles with 11.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

 When the good gets going for the Bulldog defense, the offense steps right in. Running back Bryce Collins became the third Bulldog ball carrier to reach 3,000 yards. Also, wide receiver Jared Garcia has 30 catches on the year with 488 yards and six scores.

Saturday marks the 17th meeting between Dakota Wesleyan and Concordia University on the football field. The series is tied 8-8, but the Tigers have been on the winning end as of late. DWU has won five of the last six meetings, including a 17-10 victory last season.

About the Coaches

Dakota Wesleyan head coach Ross Cimpl is in his fifth season leading the Tigers. His career record is now 34-15 overall, putting him third on the DWU all-time wins list, passing Brad Pole recently. Cimpl is now four wins behind DWU great Bud Dougherty. Vance Winter is in his eighth season as the head coach of Concordia with a 38-43 overall record, leading the Bulldogs to a 7-4 record which was their first winning season since 2001.

 Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Joe Qunital Field in Mitchell, S.D. Live video and stats will be provided at www.dwuathletics.com. Fans can also follow the game and all the latest news regarding Tiger athletics on Twitter @dwusports and on Facebook at Dakota Wesleyan University Athletics.