Dordt University

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 quarterback Noah Strickfaden to take a 7-0 lead.

The Defenders extended their advantage early in the second quarter when 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 with Rhett Williams for 25 yards down to the 2-yard line, setting up a 2-yard score from 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 up 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 found 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 quarterback Ryder Eastin in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Offensive Balance: 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
  • Zane Farney: 14 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD
  • Tyler Mantel: 11 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD
  • Thomas Fritz Jr.: 7 carries, 48 yards (6.9 ypc)
  • Sean Medlock: 7 carries, 34 yards
  • Ryder Eastin: 3 carries, 31 yards, 1 TD (plus 4-of-5 passing for 40 yards)
• Passing Offense
  • Eliot Beal: 7 receptions for a game-high 120 yards (17.1 avg, long of 33)
  • Kaden Harken: 8 receptions for 64 yards and 1 TD
  • Rhett Williams: 3 receptions for 57 yards (19.0 avg)
  • Cole Snyder: 3 receptions for 33 yards
• 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:
  • Cole Johnson led all defenders with 11 total tackles (9 solo).
  • Ethan Mills added 4 solo tackles and broke up two passes.
  • Trey VanHauen, Nathan Feldmann, David Bowman, and William Henderson each recorded 4 tackles.
  • Coleson Quiring recovered a fumble forced during a key third-quarter stop.

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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