Dordt rallied late to claim a 21-20 road win over Northwestern in Great Plains Athletic Conference play on Saturday night at De Valois Stadium. The Defenders overcame three turnovers in the first half, converted crucial third- and fourth-down situations and used a touchdown in the final seconds to secure the victory. Dordt outscored Northwestern 14-3 in the second half for the first win in the series for the Defenders.
Box Score (PDF)
Northwestern capitalized on Dordt turnovers to build an early lead. After an interception in the first quarter set the Red Raiders up at the Dordt 34, Gardner Casey scored on a 15-yard run for the game's first touchdown. Another interception late in the second quarter was returned 53 yards for a score by Jordan Carter, pushing the Raider advantage to 17-0.
Dordt steadied itself just before halftime, marching 95 yards in the final two minutes. Keenan Valverde connected with Eliot Beal on a 14-yard scoring pass with 36 seconds left in the half, trimming the margin to 17-7.
The Red Raiders extended the lead with a 36-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, but Dordt answered with a 7-play, 87-yard drive, capped by Noah Strickfaden's 27-yard touchdown pass to Jake Van Donge on fourth down. Northwestern led 20-14 entering the fourth.
In the final minutes, Dordt's defense forced a punt to give the offense one more chance. The Defenders converted twice on third down and once on fourth down during a 93-yard march, and with just 13 seconds remaining, Strickfaden found Connor Dodd from four yards out for the game-winning touchdown and point after.
Scoring Plays
- 1Q – 6:14 | NWC 7-0 – Gardner Casey 15-yard run (PAT good)
- 2Q – 4:05 | NWC 10-0 – Gianna Bennett 26-yard field goal
- 2Q – 2:03 | NWC 17-0 – Jordan Carter 53-yard interception return (PAT good)
- 2Q – 0:36 | NWC 17-7 – Eliot Beal 14-yard pass from Keenan Valverde (PAT good)
- 3Q – 7:52 | NWC 20-7 – Gianna Bennett 36-yard field goal
- 3Q – 3:16 | NWC 20-14 – Jake Van Donge 27-yard pass from Noah Strickfade (PAT good)
- 4Q – 0:13 | DU 21-20 – Connor Dodd 4-yard pass from Noah Strickfade (PAT good)
BY THE NUMBERS
- Total Offense: Dordt 412 | Northwestern 257
- First Downs: Dordt 21 | Northwestern 12
- Third Down Conversions: Dordt 6-17 | Northwestern 3-11
- Fourth Down Conversions: Dordt 2-2 | Northwestern 0-0
- Passing Yards: Dordt 259 | Northwestern 162
- Rushing Yards: Dordt 153 | Northwestern 95
- Turnovers: Dordt 3 INT | Northwestern 0
Dordt Leaders
- Passing: Noah Strickfaden – 17-for-29, 245 yards, 2 TDs
- Passing: Keenan Valverde – 1-for-1, 14 yards, 1 TD
- Rushing: Noah Strickfaden – 10 carries, 68 yards
- Rushing: Connor Dodd – 13 carries, 46 yards
- Receiving: Eliot Beal – 5 catches, 89 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving: Jake Van Donge – 1 catch, 27 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving: Connor Dodd – 2 catches, 7 yards, 1 TD
- Tackles: Zach Quiring – 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble
- Tackles: Isaac Kacmarynski – 7 tackles, 1 TFL
NEXT
Dordt is 3-0 overall and in the GPAC and will face Briar Cliff on Saturday, October 4 at 1pm.
