No. 4 Mustangs upend Tigers
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Dakota Wesleyan University football team traveled to Sioux City, Iowa, Saturday afternoon hoping to spoil Morningside College’s homecoming and hand the Mustangs their first loss of the season.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Dakota Wesleyan University football team traveled to Sioux City, Iowa, Saturday afternoon hoping to spoil Morningside College's homecoming and hand the Mustangs their first loss of the season.
Instead, Morningside showed why it is ranked No. 4 in the NAIA, defeating the No. 19 Tigers 63-7 at Elmwood Olsen Stadium.
The Mustangs (6-0, 5-0) scored 23 first-quarter points and led 30-0 before Dakota Wesleyan scored its only points of the game midway through the second quarter. Morningside scored 33 unanswered points in the second half.
The Mustangs, who lead the nation in scoring defense and rush defense per game, allowed the Tigers just 46 rushing yards and 81 more through the air. Dakota Wesleyan had four first downs, 127 yards of total offense and punted 13 times for 481 yards.
Morningside scored twice within two minutes early in the first quarter on long passes for quarterback Joel Nixon to Colby Henderson and Jake Allen. The Mustangs added a one-yard touchdown run and a 23-yard field goal to go up 23-0 after the first quarter, and Fred Jones ran for a second touchdown in the second.
The Tigers' lone score came on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Jon Bane to Derek Carlson to make it 30-7 with 6:20 left in the second, but that's as close as DWU would get. Nixon threw three more touchdown passes in the third quarter, and Christian Nohr threw a 45-yard touchdown pass 10 seconds into the fourth quarter to make it 56-7. The Mustangs' final touchdown came on a blocked punt return with just over five minutes left to play.
Bane went 9-for-31 for 81 yards and a touchdown for DWU (4-2, 3-2). Carlson caught one pass for 46 yards and Dimitri Fahey had a catch for 15 yards. Josh Endres ran for 41 yards. Mike Barnaud led the Tiger defense with 18 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss. Andrew DeVaney, Dustin Bergmeier and Josh Thompson all added nine tackles.
Joel Nixon threw for 395 yards to lead the Mustangs. Joel McCabe caught nine passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns and Fred Jones ran for 56 yards.
The Tigers are back at home Saturday, Oct. 20, when they host Doane College at 7 p.m. at Joe Quintal Field.