VERMILLION, S.D. – With six seconds remaining and the ball on the five-yard line, freshman kicker Seth Paulson (Mitchell, S.D.) nailed his first collegiate game-winning field goal as the Dakota Wesleyan University football team defeated the Hastings College Broncos in a Great Plains Athletic Conference showdown, 38-35 Sunday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D.
The Broncos (3-1, 0-1 GPAC) fired out of the gates to begin the game as they took their opening drive the length of the field and took an early 7-0 lead. The Tigers (3-2, 1-1 GPAC) were held scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season as their offense struggled to find their rhythm early.
However, the DWU special teams shifted the momentum of the game as they blocked a punt to set up the Tiger offense at the Hastings 34-yard line. Three plays later Dillon Turner (Salem, Ark.) found Tre Hobbs (Detroit, Mich.) to put DWU on the scoreboard.
The Tigers kept the momentum rolling in their opening drive of the second half. DWU drove 82 yards and scored as Turner scampered for 34 yards to the endzone.
In the waning minutes of the third quarter, Luke Loudenburg (Canova, S.D.) scampered into the endzone on a 57-yard carry to tie the game at 21. Minutes later, Dillon Rork (Grand Island, S.D.) intercepted a Hastings pass and returned it to the 12-yard line. Turner found Lewis Hofer (Onida, S.D.) three plays later for a touchdown to give DWU their first lead of the game.
In the fourth quarter, the Broncos changed momentum as they scored 14-unanswered points to tie the game at 35. With less than a minute to play and 80 yards to score, the DWU offense had one final opportunity to win the game. The Tigers drove the length of the field to set up the game-winning 27-yard field goal.
With three seconds left on the clock, Hastings attempted to return the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, but fumbled the ball as time expired.
Turner finished 17-of-34 with 170 yards passing and 158 rushing yards for four touchdowns. Loudenburg ran for 104 yards on 15 attempts and a score, while Jonny Withrow (Kimball, Neb.) added 18 yards. Hofer tallied 49 receiving yards and a touchdown and Hayden Adams (Villa Park, Ill.) contributed five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown.
Rork was a force to be reckoned with as he finished the game with eight tackles, two sacks, 3.5 tackles for a loss and an interception. Austin Van Poole (Yuba City, Calif.) tallied six tackles and Eathen Gaulke (Kimball, S.D.) finished with four tackles and a game changing sack in the final minutes of the game.
The Tigers host GPAC foe, Midland University for Blue and White Days at 1 p.m. Saturday at Joe Quintal Field in Mitchell, S.D.
