Tigers drop road contest to Defenders

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The Dakota Wesleyan University football team hit the road as they battled Dordt University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference game as Dordt took the game, 57-22 on Saturday in Sioux Center, Iowa.

 On the opening possession, the Defenders (3-2, 2-1 GPAC) took a 6-0 lead after a 58-yard touchdown scamper. On the opening DWU possession, Spencer Neugebauer (Mitchell, S.D.) took a handoff 44 yards to the Dordt 16 yard line. However, on the ensuing play, the Tigers (1-4, 0-3 GPAC) fumbled the ball as Dordt recovered.

 The Defenders took a 14-0 lead after a six-play, 81-yard drive following the fumble. The Tigers answered quickly as Neugebauer took the kickoff 86 yards, setting up the DWU offense with four yards to score. Two plays later, Kiel Nelson (Mitchell, S.D.) found Garrett Determan (Watertown, S.D.) for the touchdown to pull the Tigers within a score.

 Dordt extended its' lead with just over 6:30 left in the first quarter after a 17-yard touchdown run. After the Defenders added a field goal, Nelson found the end zone with his legs on a 28-yard touchdown rush to make it a 24-12 game in the favor of Dordt. The Defenders took a 30-12 lead into the locker rooms at the intermission.

 Dordt added 10 more points in the third stanza to take a 40-12 heading to the final period. After a Tiger field goal in the fourth quarter, Zach Lester (Fairbanks, Alaska) found Determan for his second score of the game to give the Tigers 22 points on the day.

 Determan finished with two catches for 73 yards and two scores, while Nelson went 14-27 for 179 passing yards and a rushing and passing touchdown. Neugebauer tacked on 59 rushing yards on three carries, four catches for 58 yards and 286 return yards.

 Defensively, Zach Gors (Tea, S.D.) paced the team with eight tackles and two tackles for loss, as Cody Reichelt (Mitchell, S.D.), Jackson Diede (Menno, S.D.) and Tyler Wagner (Webster, S.D.) tallied seven tackles apiece.

 The Tigers return home for Blue & White Days as they host Doane University at 1 p.m. on Oct. 5 at Joe Quintal Field.