Dordt turned an early 13-3 deficit into a convincing 41-13 victory over Mount Marty on Saturday afternoon at Crane Youngworth Field in Yankton, South Dakota. The Defenders scored 38 unanswered points after Mount Marty took a 10-point lead late in the first quarter, improving to 6-2 overall and 6-1 in Great Plains Athletic Conference play.
Box Score (PDF)
After Mount Marty scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, Dordt responded with a dominant stretch on both sides of the ball.
Tyler Mantel scored on a nine-yard run early in the second quarter to pull the Defenders within 13-10. Dordt then took the lead for good when
Noah Strickfaden connected with
Kaden Harken for a 32-yard touchdown on fourth-and-four with 5:13 remaining in the first half.
The Defenders continued to apply pressure, taking a 24-13 lead into halftime. Mantel scored his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard run with 1:16 left in the half, capping a six-play, 91-yard drive that featured a 46-yard completion from Strickfaden to
Eliot Beal.
Dordt opened the second half with another game-changing play.
Keenan Valverde returned the kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 31-13 just 15 seconds into the third quarter.
Stephen Leinen added a 43-yard field goal later in the quarter to make it 34-13.
The defense delivered the final blow early in the fourth quarter.
Jayden Weinzetl and
Isaac Kacmarynski combined to sack Mount Marty quarterback Rugby Ryken for an 11-yard loss, forcing a fumble that
Zach Quiring recovered and returned 72 yards for a touchdown. The defensive score gave Dordt a 41-13 advantage and capped a remarkable turnaround after the Defenders trailed by 10 points.
Dordt's defense also came up with crucial stops after Mount Marty moved the ball into scoring territory. The Lancers finished 0-for-4 on fourth-down attempts, including two possessions that ended with incomplete passes inside Dordt territory. The Defenders recorded two sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered one, while holding Mount Marty scoreless over the final three quarters.
The offense finished with 380 yards on just 52 plays, averaging 7.3 yards per play. Dordt was particularly effective throwing the ball, gaining 280 net passing yards and averaging 10.8 yards per pass play. The Defenders also converted all three fourth-down attempts, including the pivotal touchdown pass to Harken.
Dordt is 6-1 in the GPAC and 6-2 overall and will host Waldorf on Saturday, October 31 in the final scheduled home game of the season for Dordt.
Dordt individual leaders
Offense
- Noah Strickfaden — 16-of-24 passing, 280 yards, one touchdown and one interception; added 18 rushing yards.
- Kaden Harken — nine receptions, 163 yards and one touchdown; also had a 10-yard rush.
- Eliot Beal — seven receptions for 117 yards, including a 46-yard catch that set up a touchdown.
- Tyler Mantel — 16 carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
Defense
Special teams
- Keenan Valverde — 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown; also returned a punt 13 yards.
- Stephen Leinen — two field goals (24 and 43 yards) and five extra points, totaling 11 points.
- Connor Stephens — two punts for 78 yards, averaging 39.0 yards.
- Dordt kickoff coverage — limited Mount Marty to 89 yards on five kickoff returns.
Team statistical comparison
| Statistic |
Dordt |
Mount Marty |
| Final score |
41 |
13 |
| First downs |
20 |
21 |
| Total offense |
380 yards |
430 yards |
| Offensive plays |
52 |
78 |
| Yards per play |
7.3 |
5.5 |
| Passing yards (net) |
280 |
292 |
| Completions-attempts |
16-26 |
33-48 |
| Yards per pass play |
10.8 |
6.1 |
| Rushing yards (net) |
100 |
138 |
| Rushing attempts |
26 |
30 |
| Yards per rush |
3.8 |
4.6 |
| Third-down conversions |
1-of-8 (13%) |
10-of-18 (56%) |
| Fourth-down conversions |
3-of-3 (100%) |
0-of-4 (0%) |
| Sacks |
2 |
0 |
| Interceptions thrown |
1 |
0 |
| Fumbles lost |
0 |
1 |
| Penalties-yards |
2-5 |
5-30 |
| Punts-average |
2-39.0 |
3-45.3 |
| Total return yards |
109 |
91 |
| Time of possession |
23:35 |
36:25 |
