Game Time
Dordt will host Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday, November 11 with kickoff at 1:00 in Sioux Center. The Defenders are playing to stay tied for second place in the league and it is also Senior Day with the seniors in the program recognized before the game.  
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GPAC Standings (through November 9)
 

Team	GPAC	Overall
Northwestern	9-0	10-0
Dordt	7-2	7-2
Morningside	7-2	8-2
Dakota Wesleyan	5-4	6-4
Midland	5-5	6-5
Concordia	4-5	4-5
Briar Cliff	4-5	4-6
Hastings	4-5	5-5
Jamestown	2-7	2-8
Mount Marty	2-7	3-7
Doane	1-8	1-9

 
Around the GPAC

• Saturday, November 11 games
  • Dakota Wesleyan @ Dordt
  • Hastings @ Doane
  • Jamestown @ Northwestern
  • Concordia @ Mount Marty
  • Morningside @ Briar Cliff

 
Scouting Report
Dakota Wesleyan
Head Coach: Ross Cimpl
Record: 6-4/5-4

• A closer look at the 2023 results
  • The Tigers won five of their first six games with a stumble against Hastings on September 2. Since the bye week Dakota Wesleyan has lost three out of four with losses to Morningside, Briar Cliff and Northwestern.  
  • Dakota Wesleyan has run for over 200 yards on three occasions and scored a season high 51 points against Mount Marty.

 

• 2023 by the Numbers

• Points per game/Opponent: 24/26
• Yards per game/Opponent: 347/378
• Yards rushing per game/Opponent: 149/145
• Yards passing per game/Opponent: 199/235
• Turnovers/Opponent: 18/15

 

• Key Players
  • Austin Lee: 164-277 passing 59% | 16 TD | 14 Int | 199 yards per game.
  • Jamin Arend: 262 rushes | 1151 yards passing | 12 TD | 4.4 per rush | 28 receptions | 8.3 per catch
  • Kiel Nelson: 46 receptions | 16.3 per catch | 8 TD
  • Cole Holden: 30 receptions | 12.4 per catch | 3 TD
  • Kale Stevenson: 64 tackles | 3.5 TFL
  • Landon Ruesink: 55 tackles | 3 interceptions
  • Ethan Engen: 7.5 TFL | 5 sacks
  • Hunter Cordell: 39 tackles | 2 interceptions

 
Dordt Defenders
Head Coach: Joel Penner
Record: 7-2/7-2

• A closer look at the 2023 results
  • Dordt's losses this season are to Midland (10-7) and Northwestern (35-14).

 
 

• 2023 by the Numbers
  • Points per game/Opponent: 36/15
  • Yards per game/Opponent: 408/276
  • Yards rushing per game/Opponent: 242/74
  • Yards passing per game/Opponent: 165/242
  • Turnovers/Opponent: 13/24

 

• Key Players
  • Kolson Kruse: 87-154 passing | 57% completion | 124 yards per game |9 TD | 6 Int | 91 rushes | 467 yards | 5.1 per rush | 6 TD
  • Brendan Pieper: 100 rushes | 603 yards | 6.0 per rush | 7 TD
  • Nick Wellen: 81 rushes | 521 yards | 6.4 per rush | 3 TD
  • Daniel Dickerson: 29 rushes | 128 yards | 4.4 per rush | 2 TD
  • Preston McCoy: 30 rushes | 132 yards | 4.7 per rush | 1 TD
  • Isaac Looker: 28 receptions | 13.7 per catch | 1 TD
  • Kaden Harken: 15 receptions | 18.6 per catch | 3 TD
  • Cade Rohwer: 21 receptions | 11.3 per catch | 5 TD
  • Konner Knauf: 20 receptions | 8.2 per catch | 1 TD
  • Eli Boldan: 11 receptions | 12.5 per catch | 2 TD
  • Drew Daum: 7.5 sacks | 12 tackles for loss
  • Jessup Leakey: 4 sacks | 6.5 tackles for loss | 1 interception
  • Cooper Hidalgo: 5.5 sacks | 6.5 tackles for loss
  • Grant Hixson: 2 interceptions
  • Lucas Huttinga : 3 interceptions
  • Ian MacDonald: 2 interceptions | 5.5 tackles for loss
  • Eric Gustafson: 2 interceptions
  • Abe Stoesz: 2 interceptions |8 pass break ups
  • Dan Jungling: 44 tackles | 1 interception
  • Stephen Leinen: 35-35 PAT | 8-10 FG | Long FG of 58 yards
  • Blade Koons: 38.6 yards per punt | long of 50 | 13 inside the 20

 
Last Time
Dordt beat Morningside 28-24 on November 4.

• Dordt led 21-0 before giving up a touchdown at the end of the first half.
• Morningside took a 24-21 lead with 3:56 left in the game and Dordt responded with a 75 yard, 12-play drive to win the game with :30 left.
• Dordt converted 8-14 third down tries and didn't have a fourth down attempt. Morningside was 2-12 on third down conversions and 2-4 on fourth down.
• Dordt was outgained 456-285 and passed for 67 yards and ran for 218.
• Brendan Pieper ran 18 times for 111 yards.
• Kolson Kruse ran 13 times for 57 yards and two touchdowns.
• Isaac Looker and Evan Jordahl each had two catches and Pieper had a touchdown catch.
• Abe Stoesz, Dan Jungling and Lucas Huttinga all had interceptions.
• Jessup Leakey had a sack and Tyler Wieringa and Eric Gustafson split a sack.

 
Dakota Wesleyan lost to Northwestern on November 4, 49-28.

• Northwestern led 28-7 at halftime and both teams scored 21 points in the second half.
• Dakota Wesleyan cut the lead to 35-21 with 10:41 left in the game and Northwestern scored on back to back possessions in the span of five minutes to put the game out of reach.  Wesleyan scored again late.
• Dakota Wesleyan was outgained 495-418 and ran for 210 yards.
• Austin Lee passed for 208 yards on 17-22 passes.
• Jamin Arend ran for 189 yards on 33 carries.
• Kiel Nelson caught eight passes for an 18.4 yards per catch average with a long of 34 yards and had three touchdown catches.

The Series

• Dakota Wesleyan leads the series 9-5
• Dordt won the 2023 meeting 38-7
• Dordt ran for 245 yards and passed for 91
• Dakota Wesleyan passed for 118 yards and ran for 112

 

• Dordt Leaders
  • Kade McDaniel was 6-10 passing for 87 yards and ran for 88 yards on 11 carries
  • Hayden Large had three catches for 44 yards
  • Anthony Trojahn ran for 35 yards on eight carries
  • Abe Stoesz had an interception and seven tackles
  • Lucas Huttinga had eight tackles and Tyler Wieringa had seven
  • Tanner Millikan had a sack
• Dakota Wesleyan Leaders
  • Connor Drake was 10-17 passing for 98 yards
  • Jamin Arend had 18 rushes for 95 yards
  • Garrett Mandolf ran for 46 yards on 10 carries
  • Layton Eide and Grayson Hanson both had 11 tackles with Hanson getting two tackles for loss.

Next
The 20-team post season field for the NAIA Championship Series will be announced late Sunday, November 12.  The opening round of the playoffs will be played on Saturday, November 18.