Kade McDaniel established career-highs in both rushing and passing yards in leading Dordt University to a 44-24 win over the University of Jamestown in a conference match-up played this afternoon at Open Space Park.
The Defenders have won two straight and three of their last four to improve to 5-3 on the season. Jamestown has lost four in a row and falls to 3-7 overall, 2-7 in the GPAC.
The Dordt offense gained a season-high 608 yards, led by their sophomore quarterback who threw for a career-best 370 yards to go with a career-high 102 yards on the ground. McDaniel matched his career-high with three touchdown passes, throwing one to three different receivers.
Eli Boldan caught six passes for a career-best 124 yards while
Chase Tompkins,
Connor Dodd and
Konner Knauf all caught a touchdown pass.
After both teams failed to score on their opening drives, the Dordt offense came through with points on its second possession when Tompkins caught a screen pass from McDaniel, broke a few tackles and ran 42 yards down the sideline to give the hosts a 7-0 lead with 7:37 left in the first quarter. Jamestown answered with a touchdown on their next drive when Cade Torgerson ran it in from 3-yards out to tie the score at seven. A Jamestown 37-yard field goal near the close of the first quarter gave the Jimmies their only lead of the game, 10-7.
The Defenders came back to tie and then take the lead on a pair of
Fulton Gunderson field goals, the first from 36-yards followed by one from 29-yards out with 4:28 left to play in the first half. Dordt special teams came up big later in the quarter to stop a Jamestown scoring chance when Grant Hixon blocked a Jimmies field goal attempt.
Dordt extended its lead to 20-10 late in the half when McDaniel connected with Knauf for a 3-yard touchdown pass to complete an impressive 13-play, 71-yard drive with 17 seconds left. On the ensuing kickoff, however, Parker Hager returned the kick 95 yards for a touchdown to make the halftime score 20-17.
The Defenders owned the second half, especially the third quarter, where they scored on all three possessions and limited Jamestown to a pair of first downs on their four drives in the third frame.
Taking possession at its own five-yard line following a Jamestown punt, Dordt began an 8-play, 95-yard drive that was finished off by a Tompkins 26-yard pass to
Jayden Huisman for a 27-17 lead. Dordt's defense then forced another Jamestown 3-and-out which the Defenders turned into three points on a 33-yard field goal by Gunderson, his third of the game.
Now leading 30-17, the Defenders forced a turnover with an interception by
Daniel Jungling, setting up short field at the Jamestown 36-yard line. Three plays later,
Connor Dodd scored from 1-yard out to give his team a 37-17 lead.
The Defenders' final score came midway in the fourth quarter when McDaniel connected with Dodd for a 41-yard touchdown as the hosts scored 24 unanswered points at the start of the second half.
Jamestown completed a 10-play, 75-yard drive on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Torgerson to Ryan Colins to finish out the scoring.
By the Numbers...
- Dordt matched its season-high with 30 first downs (also vs Briar Cliff)
- the Defenders maintained balance on offense with 370 passing yards to go with 268 on the ground
- Brendan Pieper totaled 16 carries for 68 yards
- Tompkins accounted for 123 all-purpose yards (26 passing, 70 receiving, 22 return, 1 rush) and two touchdowns (1 passing, 1 receiving)
- Dordt totaled four quarterback sacks and forced the only turnover of the game
- Lucas Huttinga led the Defenders with eight tackles, followed by Hixon with seven
- Eric Gustafson, Tyler Wieringa, Colton Vander Berg and Jordan Gall all had quarterback sacks
- Jamestown QB Cade Torgerson completed 19/30 passes for 193 yards and a score
