The Dordt Defender football team put together a strong all-around performance on Saturday afternoon, piling up 579 yards of total offense and controlling the clock on the way to a convincing 51-21 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) road victory over Concordia at Bulldog Stadium in Seward, Nebraska.
Box Score (PDF)
HOW IT HAPPENED
After forcing a three-and-out on Concordia's opening possession, the Defenders marched 60 yards in nine plays, capped by a 17-yard touchdown keeper by quarterbackÂ
Noah Strickfaden to take a 7-0 lead.
The Defenders extended their advantage early in the second quarter whenÂ
Tyler Mantel broke free for a 13-yard touchdown run, capping a 12-play, 74-yard drive. Concordia answered with a 19-yard touchdown run by Carlos Collazo, but Dordt responded immediately. On fourth-and-5 from the Concordia  27, Strickfaden connected withÂ
Rhett Williams for 25 yards down to the 2-yard line, setting up a 2-yard score fromÂ
Zane Farney to push the lead to 21-7.
Concordia answered quickly on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Gideon Stark to Adam Van Cleave with 2:40 left in the half, but Dordt was not done. With just 27 seconds on the clock, Strickfaden engineered a rapid 5-play, 39-yard drive, setting upÂ
Stephen Leinen for a 50-yard field goal as time expired to give Dordt a 24-14 halftime cushion.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, Strickfaden punched in his second rushing touchdown of the day from 6 yards out. Later in the period, Strickfaden foundÂ
Kaden Harken for a 6-yard touchdown strike, swelling the margin to 38-14.
The Defenders added two Leinen field goals (20 and 29 yards) and a 27-yard touchdown run from quarterbackÂ
Ryder Eastin in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
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BY THE NUMBERS
- Offensive Balance:Â Dordt generated 579 yards of total offense on 80 plays (7.2 yards per play), racking up 308 yards through the air and 271 yards on the ground.
- First Downs & Possession: The Defenders moved the chains for 33 first downs (17 passing, 15 rushing) and held a time of possession advantage, holding the ball for 39:20 compared to Concordia's 20:40.
- Noah Strickfaden completed 21-of-26 passes (80.8%) for 268 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions, while also rushing four times for 30 yards and two scores.
- Rushing Offense
- Passing Offense
- Stephen Leinen was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals (50, 20, 29 yards) and 6-for-6 on PATs, totaling 15 points. Punter Connor Stephens averaged 48.5 yards on two punts, including a 56-yard boot.
- Defense:
NEXT
Dordt will face Midland on the road on Saturday, October 3 in its next game. Midland is unbeaten and leads the conference. Kickoff in Fremont is at 1pm.
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