MITCHELL, S.D. – The first five weeks of the season for the Dakota Wesleyan University football team all ended in victory formation for the Tigers, but the toughest stretch of 2015 starts against No. 8 Doane College at 1 p.m. Saturday in Crete, Neb.
The Tigers of the north and the Tigers of the south clash in a meeting of top Great Plains Athletic Conference teams. DWU comes into the game holding the team's highest ranking since 1992 at No. 12, according to the NAIA, while Doane has also steadily climbed the NAIA Coaches' Poll all the way to No. 8. The contest was selected by a fan vote as the NAIA Game of the Week on Tuesday.
DWU (5-0, 3-0 GPAC) enters the game off of a bye week that the team used to heal up and get ready for three straight ranked opponents. Wesleyan plays No. 3 Morningside College and No. 20 Northwestern College the two Saturdays following the matchup at Doane.
If the Tigers hope to make the NAIA postseason for the first time since 1992, they will not be able to look beyond Doane (5-0, 4-0 GPAC) this weekend.
Doane got over the hump with a home win over Northwestern earlier this season and ranks in the top five in several categories coming into the game against DWU. Doane's defense has been a force in 2015, ranking second in passing defense efficiency (78.4), second in total sacks (20), second in scoring defense per game (10.2), fourth in rushing defense per game (87 yards) and fourth in total defense per game (254 yards). Cornerback Tanner Thomas leads the NAIA with five interceptions for Doane.
Doane doesn't just bring a strong defense, it brings a stout rushing attack led by running back Nate Meier. The junior is second in the nation in total rushing yards with 647 through five games. He racked up 233 yards and three total touchdowns last week against Nebraska Wesleyan University. Meier has three games of over 100 yards rushing this season and leads the GPAC with 129.4 yards per game.
The only thing that kept DWU sophomore quarterback Dillon Turner (Salem, Ark.) from having a great game last week was a bye. In DWU's last three games, Turner has racked up over 100 yards rushing with a season high of 125 yards against Hastings College on Blue & White Days. Turner is first in the GPAC and sixth in the NAIA total yards per game with 319.8. He has rolled up 1,599 yards (passing and rushing) in five games to go along with 17 total touchdowns. Turner has won two GPAC Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors this season.
The receiving corps for DWU was a strength coming into 2015 and the group has shown why. Wesleyan has depth at the receiver positions with numerous players getting involved. Sophomore Hayden Adams (Villa Park, Ill.) has emerged a scoring threat from anywhere on the field with several long touchdown receptions. He caught an 82-yard scoring pass three weeks ago against Briar Cliff University and has three scores in the last two games. Adams has scored at least one touchdown in every game in 2015.
The DWU defense has created headaches for opposing coaches this season, especially with Wesleyan's ability to bring opponents down in the backfield. DWU is fourth in the NAIA in total sacks with 19, with junior defensive end Brady Mudder (Garretson, S.D.) leading the team with five sacks, the fourth best total in the nation. Senior linebacker Brady Bonte (Garretson, S.D.) is fourth in the country in tackles for loss with 10.5.
DWU has won the last three meetings between the two schools, all coming down to the final minutes. In 2014, Doane looked poised to leave Joe Quintal Field with a win after controlling the first three and a half quarters and building a 23-7 lead with 8:45 to play. DWU rallied with 20 unanswered points in the less than five minutes to take the lead. The defense came away with several big plays and Wesleyan held on for a 27-23 win.
Saturday's matchup will be broadcast at http://new.livestream.com/DoaneTigerSportsNetwork, while audio for the game is available from KMIT.